


Wholesome Doofus and Killer Queen

by imperator_titus



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Lives, Child Abuse, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Bisexual Billy, Implied Jopper - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jim Hopper Lives, Slow Burn, Strong Language, implied jancy, ride or die - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:19:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 34,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21517354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperator_titus/pseuds/imperator_titus
Summary: Audrey Pryce was the background character in background characters' lives, the person who sat next to you in math class whose name you could never remember. Bullied and ignored, she went through life assuming nothing interesting would ever happen to her and that she was cursed to be alone forever. Early that summer of '85, a love of cars and an old habit of throwing objects very far would be the seed of an unlikely friendship.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

  
  


It was May 26th, the Saturday before Memorial Day, and the Hawkins Community Pool opened for the summer.

Audrey Pryce didn’t have her face up on the board, but she’d been a regular fixture around the pool. The only plumber that knew pools had to come from Indianapolis, of all places, so they’d come to rely on the local weirdo that seemed to know enough about everything to fix most problems. When asked how she became a jack of all trades, she’d just say, “My father was in the war.” For some reason, no one really wanted her to expand on this statement.

In reality, Audrey had always been a weird kid and weird kids had to fill the void of meaningful friendships somehow. She _had_ learned quite a bit from her father, standing by his side as he, like many fathers, insisted that he could fix the problem himself. The gaps in this scattered education were filled with books. Lots of books. Libraries were quiet places where others couldn’t pick on you or else the librarian, who’d come to dote on shy children with a hunger for books, would chase them out.

This had extended into middle school and then high school. Now she was an adult and people didn’t exactly pick on her anymore, but that didn’t mean much. The damage had been done. Audrey was quiet, self-conscious, and alone. She existed in that little pocket of reality where she was mostly ignored, blending into the background of other people’s lives. It was better than some things, she figured, and that was okay.

They hadn’t given her one of their uniforms, which was great, because she didn’t really _want_ to wear one of those bathing suits. It looked good on those skinny girls with the perky boobs and the right amount of ass to not be falling out of the bottom. It would not, however, look good on her. She was too short, for one, and she was stronger than those girls, so she didn’t have that sleek swimmer’s form. This was fine since she didn’t really swim.

It was an issue sometimes, because people didn’t really think she worked there.

Like now.

Every one of the other employees had said they were “too busy” or “not strong enough” to help move the big chemical canisters. Audrey had considered doing it by herself, she could maybe do it, but if she ended up on her back, the others would undoubtedly come up with some excuse to not help her up.

There was one last person to ask. Billy Hargrove. He had a reputation, sure, but he’d honestly never said a mean thing to her face. That didn’t mean she liked him or mistook it for kindness, she wasn’t _that_ stupid, but Audrey figured it was worth a shot.

This involved standing nearby as he talked to an older woman. Audrey had seen it before, the middle-aged moms trying to recapture the magic and excitement of their youth by trying to chat up the cute lifeguards. She thought it was gross, irresponsible, though a little sad. This time, she just found it annoying as she couldn’t seem to get Billy’s attention. Sure, she could be direct, call out his name or just walk right up to them, but she worried that it would turn him against her, annoyed that someone like her would interrupt his flirting.

Perhaps the Iron Maiden shirt had distracted this particular mother too much.

“Oh, I think you’re needed,” the older woman said playfully with a smile. “I’ll talk to _you_ later.”

“I suppose I should thank you,” Billy started to say before spitting out his gum forcefully into a nearby trash can. “That was a rather _tedious_ conversation.”

“Well, you’re welcome, I guess.” Audrey fixed her sleeve nervously where it bunched up in her armpit. “I needed to ask you for a, uh, favour? All the other idiots- _guys-_ won’t help me and Heather is afraid of gaining an ounce of muscle, apparently.”

Billy looked at her shirt before back up to her face. “You work around here?”

“Sort of. I’m kinda like maintenance. Fix shit- _stuff_. I need help moving some canisters. They’re not heavy so much as just awkward.”

“Like a virgin on prom night, huh?”

“A great analogy, I’ll have to use that one next time.” Audrey broke eye contact to wince and quietly mutter “idiot” to herself.

“I dunno, there’s kind of a lot going on around here,” Billy remarked slowly, letting his eyes wander around the pool. Audrey sighed in defeat and rubbed her temple.

“Ice,” Heather Holloway said pointedly at Audrey with a cool glance. Turning to Billy, she cooed much more warmly, “Billy. It’s your break.”

“Sweet,” he answered, not coldly but not matching her enthusiasm. When she didn’t leave, Billy added, “Did you need something?”

The smile fell from her face. “Nope.”

“'Ice,' huh?” Billy commented after Heather had walked away. Audrey merely shrugged. “Sure, it’ll be a workout.”

Audrey quickly led the way to the pump room, not wanting to waste any of his time. “The plumber left these stupid things in the way instead of putting them back, so…”

Billy went to pick one up, grunting to lift it a few inches straight up before putting it back down. “ _Fuck_ , I thought you said they weren’t that heavy.”

“Well, when you have two people they’re not.” Audrey crouched and put her hands around the base. “Just tilt it and we’ll carry ‘em like a dead body rolled up in a rug.”

“So ‘Ice’ is a mob nickname, huh?” Billy asked with a soft scoff before complying with the instruction.

“Something like that.”

As they tilted over the third canister, Billy spoke up after a soft grunt. “You’re a lot stronger than I woulda thought.”

“Power’s in the legs,” Audrey explained as they walked through the hall. “And I workout on top of having to haul shit around every day.”

“A real working man.” She faked a soft laugh, but there had been something almost genuine in the way he said it. Audrey knew better than to think that a joke wasn’t at her expense when it came to people like Billy Hargrove.

The last canister joined the others in the chemical storage locker and Audrey wiped her hands off on the rag she kept in her back pocket.

“Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” Billy said as he put another piece of gum in his mouth.

“I mean, I’m around here sometimes,” she answered plainly, trying to figure out what the game was this time.

“No, like… elsewhere.”

“We went to Hawkins High together last year.” They’d shared a class, but she doubted he ever noticed her.

“Mm… no,” Billy disagreed, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Definitely feel like it’s somewhere else.”

“You bring your Camaro into my uncle’s shop pretty often,” Audrey replied, almost ready to call the conversation quits early to keep from experiencing her first Billy Hargrove Insult.

“ _That’s_ it!” He cracked his gum between his back teeth, a tooth-exposing smirk on his face and a light in his blue eyes, bright where hers were dark. “You found the short in the wiring while that idiot tried to convince me I needed a whole new headlight.”

“I probably shouldn’t agree, but…” Audrey huffed in amusement. “Yeah, my uncle can be an idiot sometimes.”

Billy pointed at her as the memory came back to him. “And you body-slammed that one dude that was there.”

“Yeah, that’s my cousin.” She adjusted the braided leather bracelet around her left wrist nervously. “He likes to piss me off.”

He jerked his head up. “Where’d someone like you learn to do that?”

“My dad was in the army during the war.” When that only earned her a questioning glance and not the customary conversation-ending remark, Audrey struggled to think of a better explanation. “He’d teach me how to fight, figured I needed it. And we’d watch wrestling together. I like throwing people better than socking them in the jaw, I don’t hurt my hand and they usually get the point pretty fast.”

“Ha! Remind me not to get in a fight with you,” Billy said with a smile. “I guess I’ll be seeing ya around.”

“Yeah, sure.” She watched him go and after he’d left earshot, she sadly muttered to herself. “My name’s Aethelthryth Pryce, but people call me Audrey. The jerks used to call me Audrey Pryce the Queen of Ice.”

She sighed and kicked herself before going back to the pump room to do the task she’d originally set out to do. “I’m an idiot. He’s a jerk and still way out of my league. We don’t even play the same _sport_.”

In the secluded retreat that was the pump room, Audrey took a deep breath. “Get yourself together. No use thinking about it just because the first and only conversation he had with you was pleasant.”

As she worked, cleaning and tightening and making herself seem useful, she thought a lot. She thought about why a hot jerk like Billy Hargrove would treat her like a normal person when so many people that hung out with him and vied for his favour treated her like dirt or never gave her the time of day for years.

It didn’t make sense. He wasn’t the type to take his time leading someone along for a joke. Besides, she’d fallen for that before and she wouldn’t fall for it now.

* * *

Three days later, Billy Hargrove brought his Camaro to Ron Pryce’s garage. It needed two new tires, something the Californian blamed on the shitty Indiana podunk roads.

They were in the middle of haggling and arguing when Audrey Pryce came out of the back office. A medium-sized watermelon bobbed in and out of Billy’s view as she tossed it up and caught it in one hand over and over again.

“Taking bets on how far this baby goes, boys!” she yelled out into the garage. The other mechanics clustered around and even Ron turned his head.

“I’d take that action,” Billy started with his coy smirk, inserting himself into the group, “if I knew what exactly was going on.”

Audrey was struck dumb by the realization that Billy was there in the first place, obviously not having seen him as she’d walked around a jacked-up car. The older boy next to her, the one Billy remembered that day at the pool, piped up. “Audrey’s gonna chuck that thing as far as she can out into the field. Ya bet on how far it makes it.”

As the cousin, Ron, and other mechanics talked amongst themselves, bickering and messing with the cash in their wallets, Billy leaned over to a still-shy Audrey to whisper, “So, how far do _you_ think it’ll go?”

She felt her face get warm and stared at the fruit instead of meeting his gaze, afraid she’d stare at him too much. “It got a little frozen at the back of the fridge, so it’s started to rot. I’d bet it breaks up before it hits the ground.”

Billy licked his lip and chuckled darkly. He raised his voice and squared his shoulders, making it look like he hadn’t just been in a secret conversation. “Alright, gentlemen, I bet those two new tires that _that_ bitch breaks up in midair.”

The group of men exchanged glances and muttered to each other, but ultimately Ron Pryce said, “I suppose I’ll accept that bet.”

In the field behind the garage, they all lined up to watch. Having tested its weight already, Audrey simply placed the hand holding the melon on her right shoulder. Determination suddenly started a fire in her normally placid face before she turned suddenly toward the open field with a kick, her whole body turning. The energy flowed from legs to hand and the watermelon was launched in an arc.

“Ha!” Billy cheered, clapping his hands together once with a sharp sound before clenching them and thrusting his hips, a big grin plastered on his face. The airborne fruit rained down in a shower of red flesh and green shrapnel.

The mechanics grumbled to themselves, but a bet was a bet and he’d get his new tires for free. The older men wandered off to their tasks and to bemoan such a turn of fate away from the two teenagers, leaving Audrey to finalise the order for the special tires.

“Thanks for the tip,” Billy said in a hushed and nonflirtatious tone, a small little smile on his face. He lit a cigarette and let the smoke out like a dragon getting ready to breathe fire. Audrey turned her head away and coughed in the opposite direction.

Against her will, she blushed as she handed back the receipt with the date that he should bring the car back. “No problem, Billy. They woulda just got drunk and start annoying me if one of them won.”

“So, why do you hurl heavy fruits around?” he asked in curiosity, extending their conversation longer than necessary. He creased the piece of paper in his hands with his nails. “Part of the workout?”

“I dunno, for fun, I guess,” Audrey answered honestly with a shrug, taking a step to stay out of direct contact with the smoke of his cigarette. “I did shot-put in school. Went to States twice.”

“Explains the guns,” Billy remarked in a purely playful tone, smacking the flat of her right bicep. “Gotta say, the more I know ya, the more I like ya.”

“You’re just saying that cause I got you free tires.” Her tone was humoured, but it really was what she believed.

“It helps.” Billy winked and clicked his tongue. “See ya around.”

Audrey watched him pull away in his Camaro, the tires sending up plumes of dust as they spun in a pocket of exposed dirt. Not knowing how to take the event, she sighed and went back to her tasks.

* * *

The tires had arrived three days later, but Audrey hadn’t thought much about it. Even though she could do a lot of things, especially installing new tires, she assumed that one of the guys would insist on doing it. Being a man was some club, especially when it came to cars, and she was only invited when it was a woman that came into the garage.

But she was alone when Billy’s Camaro came blazing into the parking lot. She didn’t hear over the stereo, her mind focused on Mrs. Henderson’s air conditioning system. Queen’s “Somebody to Love” was filling the spacious garage as Billy walked up, using the opportunity to finish his cigarette. He watched as Audrey sang her heart out, not an ounce of self-consciousness to be seen as she danced in place.

“Don’t tell anybody, but I actually like Queen,” he spoke up when the song ended. Audrey nearly leapt out of her skin, yelling in a low tone like Rambo getting ready to charge his enemies. Billy laughed loudly, petering out with a sigh. He raised his hands as if he was surrendering. “Don’t suplex me, I come in peace.”

Audrey took a deep breath to calm down, but only coughed when the smoke of his cigarette found her lungs. As she went to turn down the stereo, he crushed the cigarette under his boot.

“I nearly hoofed you in the crotch,” she remarked once they could have a conversation at normal volume.

“I consider myself fairly warned,” Billy responded with a little humour.

“Uncle Ron and them went out for lunch,” Audrey informed him. She shrugged as she came to some conclusion. “But I can do your tires. No use wasting your time.”

“I’ll lend you a hand. To make up for scaring the shit outta ya.”

“How chivalrous,” she muttered. “Alright, bring her over here. The two of us will make it quick.”

“You know a lot about cars?” he asked her as they moved the tires around.

“I guess,” Audrey answered in a noncommittal tone.

“What are you, some kinda genius?”

“No.” It had been a rather sharp response, the sound of it more habitual than necessary. “Just a weirdo.”

“Yeah, you’re pretty weird, alright.” Billy watched as she ratcheted the new tire into place. “This whole town is full of weirdos, so I’m not really surprised.”

“Must be something in the water.” Billy laughed, but Audrey couldn’t tell if he’d really found the comment funny.

When they were done and the Camaro was back on all four wheels, Billy offered her a wink. “Thanks again, Killer Queen.”

Audrey cussed at herself for waving goodbye.

* * *

June 3rd was coming to a close at the pool, which was the second-most convenient time to go around making sure everything still worked right. People were idiots and Hawkins didn’t exactly have deep pockets, so things were liable to break at any moment.

Audrey had already been there for a few hours fixing the straps on some of the lounge chairs by the time people started filing out of the pool. She was lost in thought, staring at a rack of tools, when a figure blocked out the light that was coming in through the doorway.

“Hey, Aw-dree,” Adam the head lifeguard said obnoxiously. “Mrs. Byers called, said she can’t pick you up tonight.”

Katie, one of the other lifeguards, walked past him and was taken by the waist with a giggle. Audrey looked back at her work, not wanting to watch the gross display. “Make sure you lock up, Aw-dree.”

She scoffed under her breath. “Idiot couldn’t even offer me a ride?”

Audrey was fixing the flex in their front desk when a whistling announced another person’s presence.

“Good thing I was making noise,” Billy’s voice purred from behind her, causing the tension to leave her shoulders. “Don’t want you throwing me.”

“Oh, hey, Billy.” As he walked past her, she nervously asked, “How are the wheels working out?”

“Pretty good, Killer Queen,” Billy answered, giving the front desk’s counter a smack and cracking his gum between his back teeth. “I _almost_ can’t feel the five million cracks in the road.”

He’d started to walk off to finish whatever task the closing lifeguard needed to do, but Audrey had finally plucked up the courage to ask, “Um, can I ask you for another favour?”

He turned around and raised an eyebrow. “Do we now have to put those heavy fuckers back?”

“No,” she laughed softly. “Mrs. Byers can’t pick me up. Could you take me home? Or, like, at least _closer_ to home, it’s kinda out in the sticks…”

“Sure, I owe you for the tires.” Audrey nodded and rushed off to do her routine check of the showers, fleeing so he couldn’t see her smiling to herself. It was ridiculous that he made her giddy, there was nothing there other than the barest amount of human decency. She supposed that meant a lot when you weren’t used to getting it.

Audrey was testing the water pressure in the men’s showers when a shadow slipping into the spacious room. A hand clamped over her mouth. She fought, but later she would think, “Why didn’t I fight harder? I could’ve fought harder.”

Everything hurt: the twisting of her arm behind her back, the other pinned beneath her, her neck straining, a sharp pain between her legs- but nothing hurt more than the feeling of a hand in her hair, the dark-gold hair that she kept long just because a girl couldn’t be pretty without long hair. It was strange how, with all the other awful things that were happening, the mind focused on that rather tame point.

Billy Hargrove had finished up his tasks with bored half-assery and decided he deserved a cigarette. He was about to leave when he remembered that he promised that girl a ride and, sighing, he decided to go look for her.

He’d been known to fool around in public, the thrill of being almost caught, but he didn’t take that quiet girl in the band tees and awkward glances for the type.

So when he followed the one sound he could pick out in the relative silence, Billy sprang into action. Cigarette flicked into some recess of the showers, an angered roar of “Hey!” and he dragged the man away by the back of his collar. He didn’t recognise him, he was older, but it wouldn’t have mattered if he knew him; Billy was ready to shoot first and ask questions later.

By the time he was sure that this _scumbag_ wasn’t getting back up any time soon, Audrey had managed to get herself together enough to sit up and pull her jeans most of the way back up, as if decency was an issue here. She was shaking and sniffling, sitting against the wall.

“Can you stand up?” Billy asked her, anger still in his voice. He wiped the blood off of his hand onto his shorts before extending it. Like a newborn fawn, she got to her feet and a supporting hand on her waist guided her away. “You’re alright, I gotcha.”

He let her lean against him as he closed and locked the door to the showers with the keys that he’d nearly used as brass knuckles. In a strange daze that made little sense, all Audrey could think about was how warm he felt.

Billy lowered her into the front desk chair and dialled 911. After he hung up, he crouched down to meet her unfocused gaze. “Hey, I'm not leaving, you understand? I’m staying right here.”

She nodded slowly, only somewhat understanding. He sighed and stood back up, lighting a cigarette to calm his nerves. The flame of his lighter wavered with the shake of his hand. The girl at the desk coughed, the irritation of the smoke in her lungs the only thing she could feel. Billy walked away to the front door, far enough away to not bother her but close enough to still be within sight.

He stood nearby while the cops questioned her, his arms crossed and a strange glower on his face. The officer that took his statement said he could go home, but Billy had refused.

“Alright, Miss Pryce, we’re gonna take you to Hawkins Memorial,” he heard Chief Hopper tell the silent girl. “They’ll check you out and everything.”

“I’ll take her,” Billy spoke up, striding over. Jim Hopper’s eyebrows drew in briefly in confusion. “I told her I’d take her home.”

“Chivalry isn’t dead, huh?” Jim said in a deadpan tone. He turned to the officer that had come with him. “Phil, don’t fuck this up. I gotta get home.”

“Sure thing, chief,” Officer Callahan acknowledged a little too happily.

“Have some decency, Phil,” the Chief of Police reprimanded before walking away, fixing his hat in place.

He wasn’t about to go in with her, but Billy stood near the examination room like a guard dog, every person and sound suspicious. When he finally looked at the time, he sighed. Normally he’d smoothly chat up the nurses, just because he could, but he had only enough energy to politely ask the older woman at the desk if he could use their phone. The damage had already been done, but maybe he’d catch a break this time for playing the hero.

“Hargroves,” Max Mayfield answered after a few rings.

“Max,” Billy said in a low voice. “Tell Dad I’m going to be really late. I dunno when I’ll get back.”

“You know he’s going to ask why,” she insisted, annoyed. She’d probably been hoping it was Lucas.

“He doesn’t need to know why, just tell him I’m going to be late and that’s all you know.”

Max scoffed and rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it. Assuming he was out with one of his “girls,” she just said, “Sure, Billy, I hope she’s worth it.”

He went back to his vigil by the door, refusing several times as nurses asked to bandage up his hands. It wasn’t that bad, he told himself, he’d definitely had worse. The split skin on his knuckles was nothing he couldn’t fix himself when he got home.

In the car, Audrey was even quieter than usual, almost as if she wasn’t there at all. It pissed him off, thinking about what that creep did. His foot pressed on the accelerator, the speed and roar of the engine only proving to fuel his anger. Billy didn’t notice until the girl beside him braced a hand on the dashboard, obviously afraid.

“Sorry. I’m just… so _mad_.” He released his foot until the Camaro slowed to something resembling a reasonable speed for him.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s _not_ okay!” Billy sighed, loosening his grip on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Audrey reassured him dully.

“No, but I won’t let it happen again. As long as I’m around, you don’t have to worry about _anything_.”

As she sniffled, which he couldn’t really do anything about while navigating the dark backroads, Billy thought about how the last thing she needed was to be treated like a timebomb or freak. “I’ll tell Adam so you don’t have to. Don’t feel like you have to come tomorrow. I’ll make sure he understands.”

“Thank you, Billy,” Audrey looked over to him as they pulled up to her house, “for everything.”

“I may be a jerk, but I ain’t a scumbag.” He glanced around at where they were, the world dark and almost ominous. Vaguely he remembered what it was like to walk up to the Byers’ house, which was a few houses down. Just barely the light of another house could be seen through the trees. “You really live all the way out here?”

Audrey shrugged. “Yeah. I like it. It’s quiet.”

There wasn’t exactly a handbook on these sorts of situations and even if there was, Billy wouldn’t have read it. Perhaps the strange look Jim Hopper had given him had meant “Are you sure you’re the person for this task?”

His whole life, no one had really cared about him. For a while, there was his mother, but she left him eventually. There was his dad, but Neil was a piece of shit that only cared about himself and treated his son like a disobedient soldier. Susan, his stepmother, had barely ever lifted a finger when she was witness to arguments and punishment. This left Max, who wouldn’t care if he died but they had their moments. Her safety had been his business, the burden that Neil had charged him with. For a while, it’d felt an inconvenience, another one of his father’s shitty rules to keep him in his place, but there were times when he really did feel responsible for his step-sister’s wellbeing.

Somewhere in his subconscious, Billy tapped into that reserve of protectiveness.

“Do you want me to… be there to tell your parents?”

“My parents are dead.”

“Oh.” There was just the rumble of the Camaro’s engine. “You live here all by yourself?”

“Ever since I was 13,” Audrey said almost as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Uncle Ron was supposed to take care of me, but” she shrugged “I’ve been my own person since 16.”

“Shit, I don’t know how you do it,” Billy said with a bit of awe. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about getting away from my dad.”

“Why don’t you? You’re 18.”

“It’s…” He thought about Max, the times when she’d needed him, and what might happen if he left. “Complicated.”

Audrey nodded in understanding. Billy stared at the house, so dark in the woods with no lights on inside. “I’ll walk you in.”

The engine died as he turned the ignition back. As they approached the front door, a dog began to bark in the backyard. A _big_ dog.

Billy was left alone in the little house while Audrey went to deal with whatever beast was making such a ruckus. He walked around, looking at random things, but he was just searching for anything that seemed off. That wasn’t exactly easy in a strange house, but he’d hate himself if his promise was so quickly broken. The things left out were curious to him, but he was too tired to really process them.

He flinched as 150lbs of black Great Dane bounded right up to him and stuck its nose right into his crotch. “Hey, woah, watch it!”

“Weird, Cain basically hates _everyone_ who comes around,” Audrey commented as she walked back into the living room where Billy was the object of canine love. “Except the mailman, but I don’t think you have dog biscuits in your pockets.”

“I guess you don’t have to worry about staying out here all on your own.” Billy tentatively scratched the dog’s head and smiled as he let out a happy dog whine. “Hey, big guy, you better look after your girl.”

She went to scratch Cain’s neck when she noticed the scabs beginning to form on the young man’s knuckles. “Sit down, let me fix that for you.”

“Nah, it’s fine, I’ll deal with it at home,” Billy dismissed gently, giving the dog one last pat on the head.

“It’s easier you let someone else do it.” Seeing the look in her eye, he relented and sat down at the kitchen table. While he waited for her to get the first aid supplies, Cain placed his big head on the young man’s leg and closed his eyes in contentment as he was once again pampered.

“Where’d you learn _this_ skill?” Billy asked as she worked on his right hand. He didn’t really like being touched, but she was gentle.

“My mom was an Army nurse,” Audrey replied matter-of-factly.

He scoffed, but in good humour. “Sounds about right.”

When she was finally done, Billy flexed his hand, testing the elasticity of the bandages, and smiled a little to himself. “Hey, I feel stupid, but…” She looked up at him but said nothing. “I can’t remember if you’ve ever told me your name.”

“Aethelthryth,” she said automatically, having rehearsed the conversation before.

“... Repeat that?”

Audrey sighed. “You can call me Audrey.”

“No, I wanna get it right,” Billy insisted. “That sounds bad _ass_ , like… like a Viking queen or some shit. You should be 6 feet tall and stomping dudes to death with stiletto heels.” She didn’t respond, both amazed that he likes her name and trying to figure out if he’s joking. “ _Aethelthryth_. That’d make a sick band name.”

“Thank… Thank you?”

“Didn’t someone call you ‘Ice?’”

“People at school used to call me ‘Audrey Pryce the Queen of Ice,’” she explained tiredly. “Everyone thought I was a cold bitch when I stopped reacting to their teasing.”

“I dunno, I think ‘Thryth the Myth’ is a _much_ cooler name.” Despite herself, Audrey laughed. It made him feel good. “How do you spell it?”

“It actually uses a different alphabet…” She found a pad of paper and a pen by the phone. On it, she wrote “Æðelþryð” and then “Aethelthryth.”

Billy smirked at the letters. “How’d you get a name like that, Thryth?”

“Oh! Uh…” Audrey shook her head as if to physically clear the fog surrounding it. “I think it was in my family, like a really long time ago? My parents decided that names are boring, so they wanted me to have something interesting.”

“Hell yeah, it’s fucking metal.”

“You’re probably the only person who thinks so… Kids made fun of it, so I started going by Audrey.”

“Well, fuck those losers. Makes me wish I had a cool name.” Audrey laughed despite how numb she felt.

“Here,” Billy started, taking the paper and pen and writing something down, “is my number. Call me if you don’t feel safe.” He thought about it more as she simply stared at the numbers that looked almost childish compared to her handwriting. “Call me even if you just wanna, I dunno, talk about cars or something. Just to get your mind off of… all this.”

He ripped the bottom half of the page off and slid it over to her. Ripping out the top part, which had her name on it, he placed it in the breast pocket of his jean jacket.

“Thanks, Billy. This means a lot to me,” Audrey managed to say, fighting to keep from crying.

“And I _promise_ that I’ll stick with you the whole time we’re at the pool after close,” he added very seriously. “You’re safe with me, Thryth.”

She couldn’t offer him more than a few nods and he felt his ability to deal with the situation was wearing out. So she showed him the door and watched as he got back into the Camaro, listening to the engine rumble and fade as he drove away.

When he pulled into the driveway, Billy sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Could life get any stranger? It wasn’t just that he had to be the person to deal with it, but that he _willingly_ did more than he needed to. That wasn’t Billy Hargrove, the guy who got in fights and almost ran kids over to teach his little sister a lesson for making him wait.

Now he had to deal with Neil teaching _him_ a lesson for making _him_ wait.

The shelf nearly broke with the impact of Billy’s back, not even a minute after he’d walked through the front door.

“Where _were_ you?!” his father yelled, covering the sound of Susan’s retreat. Really, what could she do in the face of her husband’s anger? Only get herself hurt. Might as well have it just be Billy, who brought it upon himself.

“I had to do something,” he answered dully, his tiredness keeping the anger at bay.

“Yeah? _What?_ What was so important that you’re coming back into _my_ house after midnight?”

“It’s none of your business, Dad,” Billy said stubbornly. It earned him a fist to the face.

That’s how it was, really. He’d accepted the reality the moment he called from the hospital.

While her saviour was having his ass handed to him, Audrey was staring in the mirror. She didn’t feel right, didn’t feel like she was really looking at herself. Something had changed, but she couldn’t tell what. The universe felt as if it was shifted a little to the left and nothing was lining up.

She could still feel the fingers in her hair, felt them twisting her around, controlling her. She never liked her hair, so, in the end, she didn’t miss it. Her reflection, the one with the hair cropped short, felt more right. When she ran her palm along the soft hairs so close to the scalp, hers was the only touch she felt.

Cute girls have long hair, but Audrey was never cute. If no one was going to look at her, she might as well have a reflection she could accept.

* * *

The next day, Cain started to howl at the front door and Audrey Pryce found Billy Hargrove standing on her front porch.

“Holy shit,” she said softly at the sight of his face. Billy merely shrugged, his mouth busy with the cigarette perched between his lips. The Great Dane demanded his attention.

“Thought I’d come check on you before I go to the pool,” he explained after letting out a cloud of smoke. Audrey covered her mouth as she coughed. Billy flicked the cigarette out onto the gravel driveway even though he wasn’t done with it.

“Let me look at your face.”

“It’s fine-”

“You look like you went a round with Ali,” she argued and, with a laugh, Billy obeyed the command.

Sitting at the kitchen table once again, he had no choice but to look at her as she cleaned the cuts on his face that he hadn’t bothered to deal with. The blood had stained and gotten stuck to his pillowcase, which would’ve been funny if it hadn’t been so sad.

“I like the hair,” Billy commented in a low tone as she applied a few butterfly bandages to his cheek.

“Yeah, right,” Audrey responded dismissively.

“I mean it. I actually like short hair.” She scoffed. Obviously, he was lying, he only went after pretty girls and pretty girls have long hair.

“For every guy with long hair, there has to be a girl with short hair,” Billy said jokingly. “So I guess this makes you my opposite.”

Very carefully, Audrey took his hair and tucked it behind his ear so she could keep working on his face. Billy hated it when people touched his hair, it reminded him of when his father would take a fistful of it and throw him around in their fights.

So he flinched as she combed it back with her fingers and he wanted to tell her to stop, but he didn’t. The tension left his shoulders as she stroked it before silently going back to her task. When she was done, Audrey put the hair back into place and laid her hand against it. It had, perhaps, been the kindest gesture someone had offered him in a very long time.

“I gotta get outta here,” Billy said with too much bite. He didn’t _deserve_ a show of compassion, he was a piece of shit with a piece of shit for a father. Somehow, despite how much he wanted it, her kindness made him angry.

“Drive safe,” Audrey commanded him softly. She watched him stomp off to his Camaro and her eyes followed the car as it roared out of her driveway.

* * *

A few days later, Billy Hargrove was taking his break when he noticed that the door to the pump room was open. It made little sense, almost no one ever went in there. Having become somewhat suspicious over the past week, he nudged the door the rest of the way open only to find Audrey Pryce working on something that escaped the scope of his worldly knowledge.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Working, duh,” she answered, not bothering to look up from the pipe that needed refitting.

“You should be at home,” he told her sternly, though it was practically loving coming from him.

Audrey shook her head. “I want to feel like things are back to normal.”

“I close tonight. I’ll drive you home after.” She merely nodded, which was enough of an answer for him.

As the pool cleared out, Billy made sure to find his new friend before anything bad could happen again. He walked the shower room with tense energy, but his worry was for nothing.

“Alright, all clear-” Billy stopped in his tracks when he saw that Audrey was standing at the threshold, trembling. “Hey, you don’t need to do this.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, shaking her head. He patted her arm as he walked past her to check the rest of the building.

“You’re a tough one, Thryth.”

An hour later, he came back. For a moment he watched as she tightened, tested, and then tightened again one of the showerheads.

“So, I was thinking-”

Audrey screeched loudly in surprise and raised her wrench above her head, posing to attack as she whipped around on her stepladder, nearly falling off of it.

“Woah, it’s me!” Billy cried, backing away with his hands raised.

“Don’t do that!” she yelled. Her shoulders shook with the anxiety of being approached from behind, but she lowered her impromptu weapon. “Don’t sneak up on me!”

“I’m sorry, I was just-” He thought about the random comments he’d been hearing that day and realised why being approached in such a way would make her jumpy. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What was it you were gonna say?”

“Oh, I wanted your opinion on this thing I read in a mag-” Billy proceeded to explain an upgrade he was considering for the Camaro while she went back to her self-assigned task. Every now and then she’d have a response, but it seemed to her like he just wanted to talk it out and be nearby at the same time.

“Hey, uh…” Audrey considered not saying what she was thinking, which would’ve worked better if she hadn’t said anything in the first place.

“Yeah?”

“If you ever want to work on your Camaro, you can use my garage. I have a lot of tools and stuff most people don’t have,” she said shyly.

Billy thought about it for all of a second before a smile broke out on his face. “Ya know, I might take you up on that. Dad can’t get on my ass if it’s not his garage I’m trashing.”

Audrey blushed at the sight of his smile and had to look away. “You’ll just have to help me move Birdie out of her spot and put her back when you’re done.”

“What’s a ‘Birdie?’”

“Oh, my dad’s Firebird. I’m fixing her up pretty slowly,” she answered nonchalantly.

“Shit, they left you a _Firebird?_ Now I _gotta_ come use your garage.” He cracked his gum between his back teeth.

“Yeah,” Audrey said softly, “I guess it’s pretty cool.”

* * *

The next day, Billy made good on her offer.

“Okay, so,” Audrey began to explain, getting ready to roll up the garage door. Cain excitedly sniffed Billy’s jeans. “You’ll push her from the back and I’ll have to push from the door so I can steer her over to the side and you can pull yours right on in.”

“No sweat. Hey, you never said what kinda-” The garage door went up. Billy was in shock. “A fucking _‘76?!_ With the _gold?_ ”

“Yeah, dad sprang for the whole shebang. It’s got the 455 8-cylinder and the T-top-”

“ _Holy_ fucking _shit_.” Audrey shifted her weight from foot to foot shyly. “ _Fuck_ , man, we gotta get this baby _going!_ I wanna race the _fuck_ outta her!”

“You can… you can drive her, if you’re around when she’s ready,” she mumbled, playing with the hem of her Metallica shirt.

“Are you serious?” Billy asked in amazement, just absolutely floored. “You’d let me drive her?” Audrey merely nodded. “Fuck, you have to be _the_ coolest person in this whole fucking town.”

Billy laughed loudly in pure happiness as he walked around the car, inspecting it from all angles. “Except for me, of course. I guess it depends on who wins the race!”

“You’re _definitely_ the coolest, Billy,” she said to herself.

“What’d you say?” he asked, having not heard her for both her quiet voice and being distracted by the car.

“I’m super lucky the paint has held up,” Audrey lied, snapping herself out of it. This didn’t necessarily mean he _liked_ her.

“Damn, I’m almost afraid to _touch_ her,” he breathed in wonder. She laughed and handed him a pair of mechanic’s gloves. Billy took a moment to look around, noticed the motorcycle sitting in the spot beside the car, all of the tools and random things that hung about like old signs and the blade off of a helicopter rotor. “Fuck, Thryth, did all these fucking hicks think you’re just some quiet nerd girl all these years?”

“I mean, I _am_ a quiet nerd girl…”

“The _coolest_ nerd girl,” he insisted.

They moved the Firebird out of its spot and, while Billy pulled the Camaro in, Audrey found a mixtape to fill the impending silence. After a few, he complimented her on her taste in music and said he even liked some of the stuff he hadn’t really heard before.  
She’d gone inside to get a drink and when she came back, she found him dancing a little to himself as he stared at his engine. It was rather endearing, seeing him wiggle as he popped the gum he’d been chewing.

Billy looked up to ask her for the tool he needed, only to see her smiling. They both averted their gaze, trying to pretend that the other hadn’t seen the embarrassing thing they’d been doing.

* * *

June 12th came around and Audrey felt indebted to Billy for all of the rides home from the pool. So, when he arrived to make use of her garage again, she had a present for him.

She’d excused herself to do the things she’d planned on doing that day, but as soon as she heard the Camaro’s engine start up, Audrey rushed outside. Billy left it on as he got out to put the Firebird back in its rightful place. As soon as she came near, he crushed his cigarette into the gravel.

Once they put the car back, she stopped him.

“Hey, uh, I made you a mixtape?” she said nervously, holding the cassette out as if it might bite. The label read “Thryth’s Mix.” “You don’t have to listen to it, but here ya go. Okay, bye!”

Before he could even process it, Audrey rolled the garage door back down in front of her. Billy turned it over in his hands as he walked back to his car, almost confused by its existence. He got to the end of her driveway before he decided to put it in the tape player.

He ended up just driving without a destination in mind. It wasn’t a sensation he could describe, he just felt compelled to listen to the whole thing in one sitting.

Billy ended up forgetting that he had a date waiting for him, all because of a little mixtape filled with bands and songs that he’d never feel comfortable playing in his room or with some random chick in the passenger seat.

* * *

He didn’t come around again until June 15th. This was somewhat intentional, but easily explained by mitigating circumstances.

The problem Billy had was that he _liked_ coming around. It was shady and quiet, no Neil or Susan or Max to bother him, no pressure to act a certain way. There was beer, music, cars, and food. He sometimes would just stop and play fetch with Cain until his arm was too tired. If there had been a nearby beach, he might have considered the move away from California not so bad.

He’d brought a case of beer, but had subsequently drunk just about most of it, his host only having a few. It was almost time to leave when Audrey took the keys to the Camaro.

“Hey, that’s not cool,” Billy slurred in protest and tried to snatch them back. He missed and laughed. “C’mon, give ‘em back.”

“No, Billy, you’re drunk,” Audrey said quite seriously, stuffing them in her pocket.

“I’m not _that_ drunk, I barely had anything!”

“You had, like, a whole case today,” she insisted, pointing to the near-empty box. “ _And_ some of _my_ beer.”

“You’re overreacting.” Billy reached for her pocket, but she smacked his hand away. He growled in the back of his throat, but a much more menacing sound came from the Great Dane staring at his two favourite people in the world. He backed off.

“If I let you go, you could get yourself hurt. Or worse.”

Seeing how much it meant to her and feeling his footing falter a little, he nodded. “Yer right.”

Audrey sighed in relief. “Let me make you dinner. That should help.”

While she made dinner, Billy looked around, lingering longer than he did the first time or when he briefly popped in to use the bathroom. He felt like he was in some genius’s laboratory from a movie with all the random bits and odd things lying around, all of the books that proved too much for the bookcases.

“You do all this stuff?” he asked, picking up a knitting project. He turned it this way and that, but he couldn’t tell what it was going to be. It might as well have been witchcraft to him.

“I keep myself busy,” Audrey answered from the kitchen. “Have to, or I get nervous.”

“You always done this stuff?” Billy pressed a few keys at random on an upright piano before sitting down to inspect a guitar.

“I do it more since… my parents died.” The reply made him feel bad for bringing it up even though it was a perfectly reasonable question. He wandered over to a little table where a project involving little metal rings had been set aside, a box lying open with some things he recognised as jewellery components.

“Yer… _really_ smart.”

“I’ll blame your teasing on the beer,” Audrey called out to him, trying to keep from being annoyed with him.

“No, I _mean_ it.” Billy gestured at the house in general, almost knocking over a lamp he hadn’t realised was standing in his hand’s path. “Look at all this stuff! Look at these _books!_ Yer fuckin’ _smart_.”

She didn’t bother arguing with him, since there was no use arguing with a drunk and sometimes she couldn’t tell what might set Billy off. For now, he seemed pretty happy albeit a little excitable. “If yer so smart… Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at, like, Harvard? Or wherever those dudes who work for NASA went? You should be making rockets!”

“I don’t really have the money for that,” Audrey argued, “and I’m not as smart as you think.”

Having learned that to approach from behind would probably mean a broken nose, Billy stood at her side. “You don’t _want_ to leave, do ya?” She didn’t respond, making an excuse of the food in front of her. “Hey, I’ll make a deal with ya. As soon as you finish fixing the ‘Bird, we’ll get out of this place.”

Audrey fixed him with a look of confusion, trying not to believe a single word of it. He was drunk, there was no way he was serious. “Don’t say crap like that. You don’t want to do that.”

“I promised I’d protect you,” he said earnestly, looking her directly in the eyes. She had to glance away to keep from getting lost in them.

“But you’d leave Max behind.”

“We’ll take her with us!” Billy smiled broadly, running his tongue along his lip. After a moment, he added more seriously, “Max gotta grow up someday, right? She’s got all those friends, _they’d_ help her.” He shrugged. “And if I hear anything fucked up’s happening… I’ll come beat the shit out of Neil myself.”

Audrey was glad that their dinner was ready, because she didn’t really want to think about this drunken fantasy where they ran off together. They ate in silence, most of Billy’s attention spent on the plate that couldn’t sate his big appetite.

“This is better than anything Susan makes,” he remarked when he was done. “I gotta come over for dinner more often.”

“If you are, you gotta start cleaning up. And maybe bring some food every now and then?” Her thoughts circled around this strange relationship where they seemed to be just a hair’s breadth from dating. Billy’s touch broke her from her trance.

“Holy shit, that’s sick, did you do that?” He stroked a calloused thumb along the interconnected links of metal that formed a ring around the middle finger of her left hand. It was warm and Audrey made no attempt to dissuade the connection.

“Yeah, a couple years ago. It was kinda hard to figure out.”

“Can you make me one?” She stared in shock at his excited face. Billy became uncharacteristically shy. “I mean, if you wanna.”

“Yeah, sure,” Audrey agreed with a soft smile. “I like making stuff.”

“I can see that,” he pointed out with a laugh.

Tonight’s excuse for not helping clean up was that he had trouble even getting to his feet let alone standing at the sink to do dishes. So, Audrey let him lie down on the couch to get some rest. By the time she was done cleaning, Billy had fallen asleep. She watched him, which she admitted was pretty creepy, but it was heartwarming to see him so… at peace.

She stroked his hair to get it out of his face, which made him stir slightly. “Hey, doofus, I’m gonna take your shoes off.”

“Mmkay,” he answered sleepily, not even bothering to open his eyes. Audrey gently pulled the boots off of his feet, laid them by the door, and went back to remove his belt, the things from his pockets, and lay a thin blanket over him. Feeling the fabric lie against his exposed skin, Billy mumbled a “Thanks.”

In the morning, Billy woke up slightly confused. Everything was somehow both strange and familiar until he remembered where he was. The blanket had become wrapped up in his legs and it took some figuring out to get free. His skin ached where the seams of his jeans had been pressed against it and he sat for a moment to just… breathe. There was no one to yell at him, no real urgency to leave. Despite the headache, Billy felt a little bit at home.

Sitting next to his things was a little packet with his name written across it. Inside he found a ring much like the one he’d noticed the night before on his host. Billy slipped it onto his right middle finger and inspected it, twirling it around with his thumbnail hooked between the links.

Billy decided to take off before Audrey could wake up. He grabbed an apple for the ride home, needing something to settle his stomach, but he didn’t waste much time. Birdie needed two people to put back into the garage and, not wanting to damage her, he found the cover and secured it in place. Quickly he jotted down a note promising to help her put it back when he got off work and fled the scene of the crime.

* * *

It had been a few days and Audrey had only seen Billy briefly when he came by with an offering of beer and food. She thought his shyness was strange, but it didn’t escape her attention that he wore the ring she made him or that the song that played as he drove away was one that had been on the mixtape she made him. It was perfectly reasonable that the last one was a coincidence and so she told herself that.

She’d been telling the truth that she liked to make things, _especially_ when it was for someone. So, Audrey busied herself with a new project in her friend’s absence.

That morning on the 18th, the phone rang and it was Billy Hargrove’s voice on the other end. “Hey, Thryth. I gotta drop Max off at the Byers, thought I could pick you up.”

“Oh, sure,” she said with a little too much excitement. “Mrs. Byers was gonna take me. I’ll go over there and meet ya.”

Before she rushed out the door, Audrey picked up the earring she’d been working on, quickly found an old jewellery box in her parents’ room, and gently placed it inside.

At the Byers’ house, Mike, Lucas, and Will were already there after a sleepover and were eating breakfast as they waited for Max.

“Oh, sweetie, am I running late?” Joyce asked the new arrival anxiously as she flitted around the kitchen.

“No, Mrs. Byers, I’m leaving with Billy when he drops off Max.” Audrey knew how Joyce could be and didn’t think much about her behaviour.

“Billy?!” the boys cried and moaned in despair.

“You’re hanging out with _that_ asshole?” Mike asked.

“Mi-ike!” Joyce reprimanded, her eyes going wide to hear the boy curse.

“What? He is…” Mike mumbled under his breath.

“He _does_ have a point, Billy Hargrove isn’t exactly…” Joyce made a wishy-washy hand motion and her face strained with the opinion that she feared to voice.

“He’s not exactly a saint,” Audrey admitted to the audience, “but he’s been nice to me, Mrs. Byers.”

“He’s bad news, sweetie, are you sure he’s not just messing with you?” Joyce asked with genuine Joyce Byers Concern, her hands holding onto Audrey’s arms just below the shoulder.

“I’ve had a lot of dudes pretend to be into me for a laugh, I think I’d know if he was doing that,” the young woman tried to convince her unofficial guardian.

“Well, don’t do anything you’ll regret, Audrey. Billy Hargrove isn’t worth that.” Joyce gave her a look that perfectly communicated what she meant without ruining the ears of the young boys still eating their cereal.

“Please, Mrs. Byers, believe me!” The boys looked up and exchanged weird glances, but said nothing. “I’m not saying he’s suddenly a good guy, okay? But he helped me more than he needed to, when people would’ve just turned a blind eye.”

Joyce put up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, you’re an adult, I got it.”

At that moment, Max Mayfield walked through the front door of the Byers house. “Hey, losers.”

“Well, I guess I gotta go.” Audrey gave Joyce, who was at first surprised, a hug. “Thanks, Mrs. Byers. You’ve helped me out a lot since Mom and Dad passed.”

“Just be careful, okay?” Joyce called after the exiting girl in classic Mom fashion.

“I guess _that_ was the chick he’s been hanging out with,” Max theorised once Audrey was gone. Joyce sidled up to her.

“Are they _together?_ What do you know?”

“Nothing, really. He’s been taking her home a lot, I guess she works at the pool? When Mom asks he’s just like, ‘I took Thryth home. Just expect it sometimes, alright?’”

“Thryth?” Will asked in confusion. “I thought her name was Audrey.”

Joyce rubbed the point of her chin. “Usually _I_ give her a ride. I just assumed she was taking her bike…”

“A while back he came home _really, really _late and Neil lost his shit about it.” Max stole a piece of Lucas’s bacon, much to the boy’s protestation. “Even though Billy called to say he’d be really late. After that, he started taking that chick home a lot.”__

“He did?” Joyce became more conspiratorial than concerned. “When?”

“A few weeks ago, I think. It was weird, because he doesn’t usually call when he’s out with girls. And he sounded weird, too.”

“Weird how?”

“Like... _nervous_ , but mad at the same time. Kinda scared. When Neil tried calling the number back, it was the hospital, but they said Billy’d left already.” Max merely shrugged as if this wasn’t really of any interest.

“The _hospital?_ ”

“Yeah. His hands were all bandaged up when he came back. I guess he got in a fight again.”

While the group of middle schoolers planned their day, Joyce tried to fit what pieces of a puzzle she had together.

In the Camaro, Audrey slid into the passenger seat with nervous excitement.

“Wait,” she commanded when Billy reached for the gear shift. Digging in her bag, she pulled out the unassuming black box. “I, uh, have something for you, to thank you for everything.”

A curious little smile curled his lips as he took the little box. Holding the earring up in front of his face by the post, Billy pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head. It was rather plain, a trio of thin chains woven from silver rings.

“ _Sick!_ ” he exclaimed with a growing smile. “You made this?”

“Yeah, I mean…” Audrey knew she’d be shy when the present would be offered, but that didn’t make it any easier. “I thought, maybe you’d like a new one in your rotation?”

“Fuck yeah, I keep trying to find new ones but they’re all, I dunno, _girly_.” Billy flashed his grin at her and winked as he switched the earring out. “You _get_ me, Thryth. You’re the only cool one in this town.”

Her face brightened and he actually _blushed_. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Hey, when you feel like it, make me another one! I can always use more.” Billy checked it in the rearview mirror, sliding his finger behind the chains to watch them melt at his touch and fall against the collar of the jean jacket he was wearing over his lifeguard uniform. “Maybe I’ll even get another piercing.”

“I could do, like, two that connect on the same ear,” Audrey said to herself, trying not to be too captivated with the excitement she elicited in him. “Or I can see how big is too big.”

Billy laughed happily before putting the mirror back in place and putting his hand on the gearshift. “That’s a challenge I can get behind.”

* * *

Later that day, Chief Jim Hopper walked into Melvald’s in search of Joyce Byers. He’d made a routine of it, because really, what else was there to do in Hawkins as the Chief of Police?

Today, however, Joyce was too on edge for Jim’s flirting. In a bored tone, he asked, “Alright, Joyce, what is it this time?”

“Around the 3rd, did anything…” she made a vague motion with her hands, “out of the ordinary happen in town?”

Jim reached for a packet of sunflower seeds and was about to open them when she snatched them out of his hands. “Why?”

“Did something happen at the _pool_ recently?” Joyce insisted with narrowed eyes.

He scrunched up his mouth and moved it from side to side before smacking his lips. “I ain’t gonna tell you stuff if it doesn’t involve the kids. That’s other people’s business.”

“Dammit, Hopper!” she hissed in frustration, throwing the packet of seeds back at him.

“Woooah, Joyce.”

“Did Billy Hargrove and Audrey Pryce get into trouble early this month?” Joyce questioned with pleading eyes.

“I’m gonna need more from you if I’m gonna start talking about people,” Jim commented before pouring a handful of sunflower seeds into his mouth.

“June 3rd, I call the pool and leave a message that I can’t drive Audrey home like I normally do,” she explained, tilting her head and making Joyce Byers expressions.

“Alright.”

“The next two days, she tells me that she isn’t going to work even though I know she was supposed to.”

“People get sick, Joyce,” Jim insisted before pouring more seeds into his mouth. One fell out and landed on the counter. He picked it up, blew on it, and popped it into his mouth.

“That’s what I thought! But this morning, Audrey comes to my house and says that she’s waiting for Billy, since he was dropping off Max,” Joyce narrated, making motions on the counter that were somehow supposed to make him understand the series of events. “The only way she could’ve known is if they _called_ one another!”

“Coworkers have each other’s numbers. I have all the guys’ numbers,” he said dismissively. In a quiet mutter, he added, “Not like I want them.”

“Alright, _but_ , when I warned her not to get mixed up with him because he’s-” Joyce rolled her hands, trying to find the right words.

“A piece of shit.”

“ _Not a great influence_ ,” she corrected sternly. “She said that Billy helped her out.”

“Joyce, how long are we walking to get to the point?” Jim tugged on his belt. “I think I’ve lost 5 pounds already.”

“Then _Max,_ ” Joyce said in annoyance, “told me that Billy has been hanging out with Audrey ever since he came home really late one night early this month. With bandaged hands. And he called from the _hospital_.”

Jim Hopper rubbed his face with his hands and sighed in defeat. “Fine, Joyce, you wanna hear the truth?” Joyce’s eyes went wide and she nodded as if it wasn’t obvious that she wanted an answer. “Audrey Pryce was attacked at the pool after it closed.”

The Byers mother went tense and held a hand over her mouth. “Billy Hargrove saved her and called the police. He stood around the whole time we questioned her, took her to the hospital, and Cal said Billy stuck around the whole time and took her home.”

“And now he’s taking her home when I can’t…” Joyce whispered to herself.

Jim shrugged and tossed the sunflower seed wrapper in the trash can behind the counter. “I guess some tigers _can_ change their stripes.”

* * *

Audrey Pryce had been working on a new project and it was ready when Billy came over on the 22nd. She presented it to him with a nervous look in her eye, unsure if he’d actually like it. It was made from the showy tip of a peacock feather and an almost lace-like weave of the little silver rings she’d used for the previous earring.

Billy’s face lit up like the sky on the Fourth of July and he rushed up to the mirror that hung near her front door. “Okay, maybe this is the limit, but it’s _awesome_.”

He was goofing off in the mirror, admiring the earring from all angles, until he spotted her smiling in the reflection. Growing serious, almost sad, he asked, “How are you so strong?”

“I work out, need pointers?” she answered with a laugh.

“No…” Audrey could see how torn he was inside as he considered his words more carefully. “Bad shit happens to you and you can still _smile_.”

“You smile all the time, Billy.” Sure, she thought it was cute, but now she wasn’t so sure.

“Yeah…” A tear escaped one of his eyes and fell down his cheek. Billy was never allowed to cry, _never_. Crying was weak and he couldn’t afford to be weak. The weakness took over. “It’s not _real_ , though.”

“It’s okay,” Audrey assured him, standing by his side.

“No, it’s not!” he yelled in defence, roughly wiping the evidence of his weakness away on the back of his jacket sleeve. “It’s- it’s-”

His mind sputtered and stalled like a backfiring engine. Caught between fight and surrender, it didn’t know what to do.

With a gentle touch of her hand on Billy’s arm, Audrey made him face her. Even though he might have shoved her off, she trusted that he wouldn’t hurt her and wrapped her arms around him.

“You can be yourself when it’s just me.” She squeezed him. “We’re friends, right?”

Billy’s answer was tears on her shoulder.

Rage fought sorrow. Sorrow won the battle, but it wouldn’t win the war.

* * *

No one had ever let Billy cry before without making some comment. Crying was something he did where no one could see. Crying was something he chastised himself for and went out to start a fight after because he could hear his father’s voice in his head.

He didn’t need to fight this time. This time he just threw a stick over and over again until his arm felt like it’d fall off and then he’d use the other hand to brush off the contented Great Dane. Something told him to stay there, to not go home, to stop fighting, but Billy couldn’t accept that something’s command.

When the Camaro pulled up at the Hargrove house, Max had been skateboarding in the street. Billy sat behind the wheel for a few moments, just staring at nothing.

 _Smack!_ Billy flinched, his hand flying away from the side of his face, but it was only the sound of Max’s hand on the driver’s side door. He looked up at her, but didn’t say anything. Her face went from humoured to concerned. “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly. She rolled her eyes and made a _pfft_ noise.

“That’s new,” she commented, pointing at the earring dangling from his left ear. “Where’d you get it?”

“It’s a gift,” Billy answered dully, feeling the spidery little spines of the feather.

“Your girlfriend make it for you?”

“I don’t _have_ a girlfriend, punk.”

“You keep hanging out with that one weird chick.”

“Mind your own business, Max,” he commanded coldly. “I don’t interrogate you about who _you_ hang out with.”

“You _totally_ do,” Max argued in annoyance, his harsh voice not meaning much anymore. She’d put him in his place last year and it had stuck so far.

“Well, not any _more_ , do I?”

“Because you’re busy with your _girlfriend_ ,” she insisted with a smug smile on her face. “But she doesn’t seem like your type. Are we seeing a new side of you?”

“Buzz off!” Billy hissed, pretending but not intending to smack her away from the car.

“You should probably take that off before you go in,” Max told him, pointing to the earring he’d been unconsciously playing with the whole time. “Neil’d probably call it ‘faggy’ or whatever and try to rip it out of your ear.”

Billy went silent as Max skated off. Feeling the links in the earring, he decided that she was right and carefully pulled it out of his ear, replacing it with the far less flashy dagger-shaped one that he’d gotten earlier that year. Holding the feather in his palm, he felt its soft tufts with his thumb before making a space for it in one of the dashboard’s compartments.

Neil Hargrove had ruined enough things in his son’s life, he wasn’t going to ruin _this._


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later, Audrey was unlocking her bike from the rack at the pool, lost in thought.

“Hey, Thryth,” Billy called as he approached. A cigarette, intentionally unlit, sat between his fingers as he twirled the ring she made him around his finger with a thumbnail.

“Hey,” she replied with a small smile. He took off his sunglasses so she could see his eyes as they talked.

“I know you don’t need a ride, but I thought you might need one later.”

“For what?” Audrey asked in confusion, trying to recall if there was some sort of event that she’d forgotten about.

“There’s a party, rich side of town,” he explained with a tip of his head.

“I don’t get invited to parties,” she responded without emotion, going back to her bike.

“Well, _I_ do, and I say you’re invited too.”

“Let me rephrase,” Audrey started in annoyance, “No one _wants_ me at their parties.”

“ _I_ want you there.” She sighed at his appeal. “C’mon, don’t tell me you wouldn’t like to piss other people off while you drink their beer.”

“And what do I do when you go off with some girl? Walk home in the dark, all the way across town?”

“I’ll tell people you’re my date. It’ll be hilarious,” Billy added with a small chuckle.

If she wasn’t upset before, her mood certainly soured now. “Oh, because just the _thought_ of me being your date is funny.”

“Hey, hold on, not like that,” he pleaded, grabbing the handlebars of her bike. “I meant that it’ll be hilarious to piss them all off _with_ you. Think about it: they spend years making your life miserable and you show up to a rich-bitch party on _my_ arm? That’s a _big_ ‘fuck you,’ if I say so myself.”

Audrey thought about it for a moment and sucked on her teeth in defeat. He laughed. “Okay, you can take me, but if you leave me on my own-”

Billy raised his left hand and placed his right over his heart. “You can use my fat ass for shot-put practice, Killer Queen, I promise.”

She gave him another sidelong glance as she mounted her bike and took off for home.

* * *

The Camaro pulled into the gravel drive with a low rumble. Billy tossed his half-finished cigarette out the window before sliding over just far enough to open the passenger door from the inside.

Immediately upon sitting down, Audrey was offended. “Jesus _Christ_ , Billy, is Calvin Klein’s corpse stuffed in the back seat?”

“I guess only the dumb chicks I can pull like it,” he commented, rolling his window back down all the way before putting the car in gear.

“I think I’ll stick my head out the window like a dog.”

“What, is it too much for you?” Billy asked sarcastically.

“What, did you marinate your _dick_ in Drakkar Noir like it was tough beef?” Audrey continued to complain, ignoring his question.

“That’s Laroche, not Klein-”

“I know what they are,” she snapped, holding her nose for added drama.

“I gotta cover up the man stink somehow,” Billy tried to explain after wondering if this was a real argument or not. Usually, with him, arguments involved a lot more yelling.

“I dunno, I like the way you smell,” Audrey muttered to herself.

“Really?” He slipped a piece of gum into his mouth.

“I mean, when you don’t smell like chlorine.” She stuck her head out the window and took a deep breath of fresh air before sitting back down. “I guess I’ve never really hung out with you before.”

“We hang out,” Billy argued, confused.

“Yeah, but you don’t pour a whole bottle of cologne all over yourself to come over to my house.” The way she said it sounded almost sad, which he didn’t understand considering how much of an ordeal the scent had caused.

Billy began to play with the peacock earring he’d put on after leaving his house. “No amount of cologne would make _you_ like my sorry ass, guess I got _one_ thing right.”

Audrey scoffed, but with a small smile on her lips. “Glad I saved you the money.”

“And my sense of smell,” he joked, cracking his gum between his teeth. They exchanged a look and laughed.

The Camaro ripped through Loch Nora and came to a stop in front of a particular house.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Billy,” Audrey sighed, taking some calming breaths.

“Sorry, gotta make an entrance,” he apologised, although with his normal cocky attitude.

“Yeah, straight into the afterlife.”

The street and driveway were packed with cars, the house had a light on in every room, and the music could definitely be heard. A few guests on the front lawn saw the newcomers and looked around as if someone had the answer as to why _she_ was there. As soon as Billy slung his arm over her shoulders, they all turned their attention elsewhere or bunched into more private groups to discuss the possibilities.

“What do you even _do_ at a party?” Audrey asked sharply, annoyed by the stares. It felt too much light high school. A hand squeezed her shoulder.

“Well, first, you find the beer,” Billy informed her with a smile, “and then you drink it until I’m pretty.”

“Real funny,” she said in a deadpan.

“I’m serious, I get way more bearable when you’ve had a few.” He shook her until she chuckled and smacked him with the back of her hand to get him to stop. “C’mon, we’ll have fun. You know how to have fun, right?”

“No, I was never allowed to have fun.”

Billy leaned in so that his lips barely didn’t touch her ear, his breath hot against her neck. “Just remember; you’re better than all these idiots could even imagine.”

She looked up at him, hoping to find some answers in his eyes, but he was already scoping out their path.

They made their way around the house, Billy keeping Audrey close by his side as if she was just another accessory. She supposed it was nice being on his arm, but she wasn’t having _fun_. It felt good to stick it to anyone who thought she was nothing more than the quiet weirdo, but she really just wanted to be alone with the person that had become her friend.

“Hey, I gotta take a leak,” Billy informed her after draining his latest in a long line of beers.

“Wait, don’t leave me alone!” Audrey pleaded.

“What, you wanna go in with me? I might be a freak, but I’m not _that_ freaky,” he said with a laugh. “You’ll be fine. Go outside, get some air, I was getting worried you’d hack up a lung.”

“Fine,” she muttered in defeat. “Don’t take too long.”

“I’ll meet you out there for a smoke.”

Audrey wandered out the front door, intending to just go straight to the Camaro. On the way, she gave people polite nods when she accidentally made eye contact and sighed in relief every time a person failed to engage her in conversation.

She managed to get to the front lawn by the time trouble found her.

“Look! Audrey Pryce the Queen of Ice is aaaaall alone.”

“Tommy,” Audrey said dismissively. “Who let _you_ out of your cage and forgot to put the muzzle on?”

“What, did Hargrove get tired of his little joke?” Tommy faked a pout. “Are you saaaad that your little buddy left you?”

“Actually, yeah, his cologne was making it hard to taste how shitty your bear was.” Audrey gestured at the house. “This your parents’ place?”

“Yeah. And what does _your_ parents’ place look like?” He feigned shock before a mocking grin spread across his face. “Oops. I forgot. They’re _dead_.”

“Wow, that was very convincing. For a moment I _actually_ thought you were a decent human being.”

“Hey, I’ve always been curious. What’s it like not having parents?” There was a scattered amount of chuckling from the congregated audience.

“I dunno, what’s it like knowing you disappoint _yours_ on a daily basis?” There was a much louder amount of laughter.

“See? _There’s_ the Ice Queen I know!” Tommy chortled and then grew deathly serious. “As cold are you fucking mom and dad.”

Audrey didn’t react, merely gave the young man a blank stare. From behind her, Billy approached the gathered crowd after lighting a cigarette.

“No one wants your here, Pryce! You’re a freak. You always were and you’ll always be a _freak_.” Tommy spat. “Showing up in a Camaro with the local man-whore doesn’t suddenly change who you are.” At this, Audrey’s hands turned into fists at her side. “I don’t know why Hargrove hangs out with you. I’d say he wants to fuck you, but I’d fuck your _mom_ before I’d fuck you.”

“Hey, Tommy-” Billy began to roar angrily, a fire in his eyes. The muscle in his cheek quivered with the tension in his jaw. He didn’t get a chance to finish his threat.

Audrey grabbed Tommy by the shoulder, which confused him, and then by his crotch, which shocked him and the crowd around them. She lifted him up and pitched him a few yards down the lawn, his back making a loud _thump_ as it hit the ground. Several people gasped, some others _whoop_ ed and cheered, up for any good show.

While he was lying on the ground, Audrey leaned over him, a foot planted on his chest. “Talk about my parents or Billy again, I dare you. Next time, I’ll rip your dick off and shove it down your throat.”

She kicked him in the ribs for good measure and walked off toward the Camaro. “Come on, Billy! I’m fucking done with these assholes.”

As he made to follow her, Billy flicked his still-lit cigarette at Tommy and smirked to himself as he heard the indignant “ow!” that came after.

“Thanks for waiting until I could see the show.” He chuckled darkly, running his tongue along his teeth. “You should be the one protecting _me_ , Killer Queen.”

“Are parties with you always this fun?” Audrey asked a bit angrily.

“Nah, I actually make them _lamer_ ,” he responded with a broad grin.

“Gimme your keys,” she said after inspecting him for a moment.

“What? No.” Billy refused, his eyebrows knitting together.

“You’re drunk, gimme your keys,” Audrey demanded a little more forcefully.

“I’m not _drunk_ , I’m not some fucking lightweight,” he protested, taking a faltering step backwards.

“You’ve had, like, 12 beers.”

“You drank too, Audrey the Giant,” he said a little too defensively.

“I had _two_ and they were _weak_.”

“Oh, so that was all you back there?” Billy asked, pointing to where he’d just seen her hurl a man like a sack of potatoes.

“Billy, just give me your fucking keys!” she shouted, holding her hand out to receive them.

“I can drive _just_ fine!” Audrey pushed him and he stumbled. “Hey, what the fuck?!”

“You can’t even stand on your own two feet!”

“You _pushed_ me!”

“Barely!”

“Get in the car!” Billy roared, just on the verge of grabbing her and bodily throwing her in.

“If you wanna die, _fine!_ I’ll _walk_.” Audrey began to stomp off, shoving her hands in her pockets.

“All the way to Hickville?” he called out to her retreating back.

“Yeah! Maybe I’ll get in a stranger’s car!”

Billy nearly kicked his own car, but there was a better use of his anger. He walked back up the driveway, people moving out of his path like the water in front of a warship’s prow.

“Where’s that brat Tommy?” he yelled into the house. Some people stared, others tried to look anywhere else. Someone tentatively pointed toward the kitchen at the back of the house.

“Hey, Hargrove!” Tommy responded as Billy’s foot went from carpet to tile. He was sitting at the kitchen table while Carol rubbed his back, undoubtedly sore from the beating he took. “Why the fuck did you bring the Ice Queen to my house?”

Billy stared at him for a moment, the muscle in his cheek flexing as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. “Why the _fuck_ would you say shit like that? Were you dropped on the head as a baby?”

“She’s _always_ been a freak, but _you_ wouldn’t know. She was askin’ for it!” Tommy stood up and finished off his beer. He hummed and jabbed a finger at the peacock earring hanging from Billy’s ear. “Hey, where’s you get that, anyway? It’s pretty faggy, dontcha think?”

Billy took Tommy by the collar and headbutted him without a word. While he was reeling from the hit, a fist made contact with the young man’s jaw. Tommy fell to the floor, whining and clutching his head.

“I hear you breathe another word about Thryth again,” Billy growled, “and I’ll slit your throat, got it?”

Billy stormed off, lighting a cigarette as he crossed the lawn. As he sat in his Camaro, it was as if the energy left him all at once. The feather on his ear tickled his cheek and he choked on a sob.

Audrey was a few streets away when the glow of headlights illuminated her back and the familiar roar of a V8 announced Billy’s approach. It passed her before pulling over to the side of the road. It’s driver got out as the young woman reached the car.

“Alright, you can drive,” he informed her, putting a bracing hand on the Camaro’s side. “Don’t worry, I drove slowly.”

“Is the world ending?” she commented, hovering as he made his way around the back of the car to the passenger’s side. “You can spend the night or I’ll bring the car back in the morning.”

“I’ll spend the night,” Billy answered tiredly before getting back into the car. Audrey sighed and slid into the driver’s seat, taking the time to adjust the seats and mirrors to account for the differences in their height.

When the engine came back to life, Audrey smiled to herself in the dark.

After a few minutes of silence wherein she thought he’d passed out, Billy spoke up. “Why do you make such a big deal out of this?”

“My parents died in a car crash,” she said dully as if he’d asked for help on some homework. “I guess it’s, like, PTSD. I’m always afraid it’ll happen again.”

“Isn’t PTSD for soldiers?”

“Anything can be traumatic.”

“Were you in the car when it happened?” Audrey took a deep breath and sighed.

“No. They were going to a concert and I had the flu,” she answered. “There was ice on the road, a big truck came over the median-”

“Fuck,” Billy interrupted, the information finally registering.

“I mean, I guess it’s not the _worst_ thing to happen to me.”

He was silent for a while longer as he leaned against the passenger door. In a pitiful tone, she heard him say, “I’m a fucking idiot.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re drunk.”

“No, I’m always an idiot.”

“Billy, I don’t wanna fight two people in one ni-” Police lights came to life behind her. “Fuck, what did I even do?”

Audrey pulled off to the side of the road, rubbing her temple to keep a headache at bay. While she waited for the officer to come up to the car, Billy, or rather, his stomach, chose to open his door so that he could throw up.

“Oh, and _you_ wanted to drive,” she commented, both annoyed and pitying. He merely groaned in response. A flashlight illuminated the inside of the Camaro through the driver’s side window.

“Well, _you’re_ not William Hargrove,” Officer Calvin Powell stated, frankly surprised.

“No, sir, thankfully I’m not,” Audrey informed him, squinting. “I’m taking him home.”

The flashlight landed on Billy, who was still hunched over the side of the car.

“Yeah,” Calvin started slowly, “that looks to be a good idea.” He turned his attention back to her. “You’re Audrey Pryce, right?”

“Yes, sir.” The officer unclipped the radio from his side and pressed the receiver button. 

“Chief, I got eyes on that kid.” Chief Jim Hopper confirmed the statement and Calvin put the radio back on his belt. “I’mma need you to sit tight young lady.” He held out his hand. “And I’mma need ya keys.”

While they were forced to wait for the police chief to show up, Audrey helped Billy the rest of the way out of the Camaro. Holding his hair back, she stabilised him as he threw up again.

“Remind me that you go from an angry drunk to a messy drunk.” The answer came as a dry heave.

Another car joined the group, the Blazer she recognised as Chief Hopper’s.

“Alright, Billy,” Jim said tiredly, indicating his truck. “Walk it on off over here.”

“Hey-”

“Cal, keep Miss Pryce company while I have a chat with Mr. Hargrove.” The larger officer put a hand under the young man’s armpit to keep him upright as they walked back over to the Blazer.

“What’s this about?” Audrey asked the officer that was put in charge of her.

“Were you two not at a party up in Loch Nora?” She looked away guiltily. Slowly with a little disappointment, Calvin said, “Yeah, you were.”

“Tommy and a buncha kids up in Loch Nora said that you beat up Tommy at his own party,” Jim stated plainly once he had his suspect propped against the Blazer. Billy clicked his tongue and looked at the road. “Judging by what I know about you and” Jim sniffed “that Miller cologne, I’m willing to believe them.”

“Maybe I did,” Billy replied with a hoarse voice.

“Now, I don’t really care for Tommy, but you don’t seem to learn your lesson.”

“He needed to learn his,” the young man said definitively.

“Look,” Jim insisted, trying to make Billy meet his gaze. He snapped his fingers until the young man looked at him. “I’m sure she feels like she owes you, but don’t drag Audrey into your _shit_.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I have it on good authority that you two have been spending a _lot_ of time together since the 3rd.”

“Oh yeah?” Billy scoffed. “How’d you hear that?”

“Joyce Byers and Max.” The young man looked away again, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. “She’s a good kid and if I find out that you’ve been playing some game-”

“I'm not playing any games,” Billy insisted, meeting the man’s gaze again.

“Then, you better treat her right,” Jim commanded with a deadly stare.

“You’re not her dad. You’re not _my_ dad and, even if you were, I’m not having this conversation with you.” The younger man spat on the road. “If you’re gonna take me in, let’s get it over with already. I need to lie down.”

“Alright, hotshot, let’s go,” the police chief said gruffly, turning Billy around to handcuff him. “Miss Pryce can take your car home.”

“Hey!” Audrey yelled, walking away from Officer Powell, who tiredly followed her. “What are you doing?!”

“He’s gonna sleep it off in a cell where he can’t hurt anybody but himself,” Jim informed her, also exhausted.

“But he didn’t do anything!”

“Just cause a kid’s a shit doesn’t mean you can beat him up.” The police chief closed the door on the Blazer once Billy was inside.

“But _I_ beat Tommy up!” Audrey admitted.

“I got about 20 teenagers that say Billy Hargrove beat the shit out of Tommy.” Jim leaned forward. “Look, I know he helped you out once, but don’t get mixed up with this guy. You’re a good kid. Don’t cover for him.”

“I’m not covering for him.” Audrey sighed, exasperated. “I threw Tommy across the lawn and then I told him I’d rip his dick off if he talked shit about my parents again.”

“Yeah, right-”

“Do you think a guy like Tommy would admit to getting roughed up by a girl?”Jim looked over at Billy sitting in the back of his Blazer. He sighed, almost like a growl in the back of his throat.

“Alright. I’m gonna let it go this once.” He put up a finger. “ _Once_. I better not hear about it again.”

“Believe me, Chief Hopper, I don’t particularly want to see that asshole again.” After Jim got Billy back out of the truck and uncuffed him, Audrey helped the young man walk back to the Camaro.

“Why didn’t you tell them it was me?” she asked once behind the wheel again. “Why would you let them arrest you for something you didn’t do?”

“Everyone expects _me_ to be the asshole that gets in a fight at a party,” he answered, sounding hollow and unlike himself. “Who cares if Billy Hargrove spends the night in jail?”

“ _I_ care, Billy,” Audrey told him. “ _I_ care.”

“You’re the only one,” he said sadly. “Only person who cares if a piece of shit like me lives or dies.”

“Max cares.” Billy made a _pff_ noise. “Well, you’re right, I care. So don’t do anything that means I have to worry about you or else you’re gonna have to beat your own ass for hurting me.”

She expected to him some comeback, but, in the silence of the parked car, she could hear him snore softly.

“Alright, ya wholesome doofus,” Audrey said quietly, putting her hand on the key in the ignition, “I guess I gotta drag your ass to bed.”

* * *

The next morning, Billy woke up with a massive headache in a strange bed. It hurt too much to open his eyes.

He felt a hand on his head, patting down his hair.

“If you’re gonna throw up, there’s a trash can,” Audrey informed him in a quiet voice.

“Holy _fuuuuck_ ,” he groaned, covering his eyes with a hand.

“You got _really_ trashed. You were _every_ kind of drunk I could think of,” she chided gently while she stroked his hair some more. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I…” 

He remembered their discussion prior to the party, of course, including the part where they’d sung along to a few of the songs on the mixtape _she_ made him. There was the start of the party itself, when it felt so _right_ to have his hand on her shoulder and he had to drink just to stop thinking about it. There was the simmering anger as he saw the acerbic and cold way people talked to her if they’d even acknowledged her presence at all. He felt pride when she delivered a particularly witty remark that left its target confused as the couple walked away.

Billy remembered having to leave her to the wolves and he definitely remembered the fight Audrey had with Tommy. Regret stabbed at his heart with the memory of how he’d almost bodily thrown her into the car just because she was worried he’d crash and kill someone.

Then the memories became difficult to piece together. He threatened Tommy. Audrey told him that her parents died in a car crash. She held back his hair as he threw up on the side of the road. She told him that she cared about him. He mistook her helping him walk for dancing and they both fell over in the garage. He’d been a morose bastard that needed help getting his jeans off. Being told not to piss her parents’ old bed. Cain licking his hand and nuzzling him. Billy, crying, had asked for her to stay with him until he fell asleep.

Billy winced.

“I yelled at you to get in the car,” he lied. Eyes closed tight, he added, “I’m sorry. I’m such a fucking _dick_.”

“It’s okay, you were just wasted. I know that wasn’t the real you.” While she combed his hair with her fingers, Billy wondered who was the real him. “You missed all the fun stuff, then.”

“Oh yeah?” he hummed, trying to sound as if he didn’t know some of what she referenced. “There was more fun than you chucking Tommy halfway across his lawn by the balls?”

“Chief Hopper had you in the back of his truck for a hot minute,” Audrey informed him with a smirk.

“Why, he catch me weaving?”

“No, actually, cause _I_ was the one driving.”

“That’s a relief.” Billy sighed in contentment as she continued to stroke his hair. “How’d you like it?”

“It was nice, but I didn’t get to turn her out.” Audrey laughed. “You threw up on the side of the road, I was afraid I’d have to wash out the car if I went too fast.”

“Can’t believe I don’t remember all that…” He nuzzled the pillow beneath him and chuckled. “I didn’t say anything weird, did I?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” She sighed. “Ya know, I didn’t _actually_ have fun, cause everyone kept staring at me like a fucking freak and that _fucking._ Tommy. But…”

Billy flashed her a smile. “You had a little fun hanging out with little old me?”

“Yeah.” She returned his smile and he felt his heart flutter. “I had fun with you.”

“Ya know, my memory is a little hazy, but…” He managed to sit up. “I think I had fun with you too, Thryth.”

Audrey stared into his eyes. Almost heartbroken she asked, “Really?”

“Yeah, you’re really cool,” he confirmed, placing a hand over hers. Billy leaned forward, only to turn his head, reach for the trash can she’d set out next to the bed, and threw up, the motion having caused his head to swim.

“Aw, sweetheart,” she cooed, pulling back his hair. “Get it out, get it all out.”

When he could stand on his own, Billy took a shower and had what little he could stomach to eat. The whole time, Audrey watched him, trying to reconcile the person in front of her with the person she thought he was.

There had been hints, sure, the cracks in the facade and chinks in the armour allowing a peek at what was underneath. A moment of kindness or a considered word showed him to be more than just the two-dimensional school bully. Somewhere in there was a young man that got a smack instead of a hug or a curse when he needed encouragement. He’d done bad things, that was for certain, more bad things than the average person, but maybe he didn’t need to _stay_ bad.

Audrey thought about this while they sat next to each other on the couch, Billy trying not to fall asleep again to somehow prove how tough he was. “Hey, uh… I dunno if this falls under the purview of your protection promise-”

“Purview?” he asked tiredly.

“Ya know…” She made a vague gesture. “The scope.”

“Oh.”

“But, uh. I could…” Audrey tried to look a little wounded. For _his_ benefit. “I could use a hug.”

“Oh.” It took a moment for the statement to be registered. Billy sat up more fully. “Oh, yeah, sure.”

By the way he held her, the way he let his head rest against her shoulder, Audrey knew that he needed that hug and that he wasn’t about to ask for it on his own.

“You’re not a piece of shit, okay?” she said into his shoulder. She squeezed him tight. “Not now. You’re my friend.”

* * *

When Neil commanded Billy to take his sister to the mall, he didn’t argue. He didn’t say something like “she gets there on her own all the time” or “I’m not her babysitter,” because none of that could change his father’s mind. It only served to start a shouting match or possibly a split lip. What he wanted to say was “I have plans,” but, in the event that they _did_ get into a fistfight, Billy didn’t want to show up at Audrey’s door and be interrogated about what happened to him.

So, he saved that portion of the conversation for Max in the security of the Camaro.

“I already have plans,” he told her as she slid into the seat.

“Gross, I don’t need to know about your girlfriends,” she said snottily, rolling her eyes.

“This isn’t a _date_ ,” Billy insisted as he turned the ignition. 

“I’ll say, I can actually breathe in here.” 

“ _But,_ ” he growled, choosing to ignore her statement, “I’m not driving all the way out just to have to come back to get her, so you’re gonna hang tight.”

“Fine,” Max huffed.

As they pulled up to the Pryce house, she laughed. “You really like hanging out with this chick, huh?”

“Just get in the back, alright?” he commanded tiredly.

“Why?” she complained.

“Because she’s older, squirt.” Max huffed again as she climbed into the cramped back seat. Audrey soon took her place in the front passenger seat.

“Oh, hey, Max.” The young woman flashed her a smile.

“So you’re the chick Billy’s been hanging out with lately.” Max had always assumed that, despite Mrs. Byers’ apparent love of Audrey, she was an airhead like the other girls that wanted to screw around with her stepbrother. It showed in her tone.

“Alright, Max, rein in the attitude,” Billy warned, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

“I guess we _do_ hang out a lot,” Audrey admitted with a nervous laugh. “I guess I never really noticed.”

“You’re the one that made the earrings, right?”

“Fuck yeah she is,” Billy answered, checking out the chains dangling from his ear in the rearview mirror. He flashed himself a crooked grin before going back to chewing his gum.

“I guess that makes her a little more useful than your other girlfriends,” Max hummed flippantly.

“Oh, we’re just friends,” Audrey insisted innocently.

“Yeah, sure.”

Looking between the person beside him and the girl in the back, Billy could see how Max’s comments were hurting his friend. He didn’t like that, but he didn’t like the idea of forcing his sister to apologise. How could he get her to chill out?

“Ya know, Thryth, with all these changes in the plan, I forgot. Where did you want me to take you today?” He wasn’t sure if it was a good lie, she was pretty smart and knew him well, but he was glad that she took the bait. Maybe Max had confused her enough for it to work.

“Oh, the comic shop. I keep meaning to pick up March’s Spiderman and I wanted to look at their new dice.”

“Wait, _you_ read comics?” Max perked up, both confused and excited.

“If I can remember to get them,” Audrey joked.

Billy smiled to himself as he let the two talk about comics for the better part of the drive.

When they pulled up to Starcourt, Audrey asked for her ride to wait a few minutes while she ran in to use the bathroom. Max crawled back into the front seat and her brother expected her to leave.

“Wow, Billy,” she commented in a mocking tone. “Since when did you hang out with _nerds?_ ”

“Hey, she’s way cooler than you think she is.” Billy took this opportunity with Audrey out of the car to light a cigarette. “Besides, _you_ hang out with a whole _gang_ of nerds.”

“Maybe,” Max admitted dismissively. “But the last person I expected you to be spending all your time with is a _dork_.”

Billy paused for a moment, exhaling a cloud of smoke and flicking his ash out of the window. In a meaningful tone, he said, “You don’t know her like I do.”

“Is Billy Hargrove actually _maturing?_ ”

“Maybe,” he copied her dismissive tone. “What’s it to you?”

“It’s a sister’s job to judge the girl her brother’s dating,” Max informed him facetiously.

“We’re not dating, we’re friends, how many times do I have to say that?”

“Oh, is that what you call them?” Max asked with a smirk.

“Seriously, Max, we’re just friends.” She scoffed at the expression he gave her. He looked out the window again. “She’s basically a dude to me.”

“Sure, Billy, whatever you tell yourself.” She flashed him a big mocking grin.

“Hey, punk, Just make sure you get home on time and that Neil doesn’t catch you with Lucas, got it?” He even lifted his sunglasses so she could see how serious he was. It had no effect.

“Damn, Billy, she’s done a number on you, huh?”

Billy sighed and put his sunglasses back down. “Get going before I do something I regret.”

Having annoyed him enough, Max complied and met up with Mike and Lucas, who were waiting near the mall entrance. As she walked up, Audrey walked past, giving the girl a smile and wave.

“Who’s that?” Lucas asked almost as if the exchange annoyed him.

“You’ve seen her before,” Max informed him with an exhausted narrow-eyed look. She tilted her head when he shrugged. “Billy’s girlfriend? Came by Will’s house?”

“I didn’t notice, I guess.”

“She does _not_ look like Billy’s type,” Mike commented. They all watched her leave and get back into the waiting Camaro.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Max started conspiratorially. “She’s a _nerd._ ”

“What?” the boys asked in unison.

“Just a real _dork,_ maybe a bigger dork than you guys.” They gave her offended squints. “She asked him for a ride so she can go get _comics._ ”

“Oh my god, is the world ending?” Lucas asked the sky dramatically.

“Probably. Billy is _super_ nice after he sees her.” Max shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Or, ya know, nice for _Billy_.”

Back in the Camaro, Billy flicked his cigarette out the window as soon as Audrey slid into the passenger seat.

“Max seems nice.”

“She has her moments,” he acknowledged as he put the car in gear.

“I’m pretty used to people being rude,” she started to muse, sticking her hand out the window to feel the breeze, “but that’s usually when I express my interests.”

“She hates airheads,” Billy informed her with a curl in his words that indicated he was proud that the person next to him _wasn’t_ in that category.

“Well, that makes two of us, I guess.”

Without Max in the car, Billy put her mixtape on to fill the silence. Like two high school girls pretending to be pop stars, they sang their hearts out to the songs that inspired energy. A certain one came on and he didn’t think much of it until he could hear Audrey singing to herself beside him.

“ _Dance with me, I want to be your partner, can’t you see?_ ”

He reached over and turned up the volume dial, encouraging her to sing in earnest as he nodded along.

“That song’s kinda old, ain’t it?”

“It was my parents’ favourite.” Audrey smiled to herself as she stared out the window.

Billy glanced at her while she couldn’t see him. He smiled a little before going back to watching the road.

“God, it’s fucking _hot_ today,” she complained eventually.

“You shoulda said something back there. We coulda got ice cream and annoyed the shit out of Harrington while we were at it.”

“Well, Buckland Dairy is near the comic store.” Billy laughed under his breath. All the more reason to be around each other.

In the geek shop, it was Billy’s turn to be the target of suspicious stares.

“I know I’ve lifted shit in my time,” he whispered in Audrey’s ear as she checked the shelves, “but why am I getting the evil eye?”

“Cause you’re a jock,” she reminded him in a bored tone. “You’re on their turf now.”

He sighed. “I shoulda waited in the car.”

“What, are you scared?” Audrey elbowed him in the ribs as she looked over their figurine collection. “They didn’t like _me_ when I first started showing up. Girls are just as bad as jocks.”

“Are you saying we’re a pair of lone wolves?” Billy teased.

“Then we wouldn’t be ‘lone’ wolves, would we?”

“You’re humourless.” He made an excuse of wanting to grab a smoke before they went over to get ice cream, just because the staring was making him uncomfortable. It didn’t make sense, normally _he_ was intimidating people. What was holding him back, he wondered.

On the other side of the storefront glass, Billy could hear the conversation between Audrey and the clerk.

“What’s with the _hunk_ , Audrey?”

“He’s a friend. Why, you want his number? Want me to ask him on a date for you?”

“No…” There was a pause where Billy was sure that eyes were trained on the back of his head. “No guy like _that_ just walks into a place like _this_ for a _friend_.”

“Alright, I cast a spell on him, he’s my slave now.”

“Bodyguard? Spy?” There was a pause wherein the clerk leaned forward. “Sex slave?”

“Goodbye, Gabe.” A few seconds later and the bell on the door rang as she walked out. Audrey put on her sunglasses as Billy stamped out his cigarette. “You’re very popular, lover boy.”

“I think _you’re_ the popular one, Killer Queen.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked in genuine confusion.

“That dude was obviously into you,” Billy mumbled as they walked towards the ice cream shop.

“No he wasn’t.”

“ _Yes_ , he _was_ ,” he retorted, annoyed.

“Wow, it’s gotten a rise out of you. Jealous?” Audrey teased with a smirk, smacking his butt with her shopping bag.

“Jealous of a dork named ‘Gabe?’ Please.”

“‘Billy’ isn’t _that_ much better of a name,” she commented in a carefree tone. “I mean, at least Gabriel was an angel.”

He shot her a glare from underneath his sunglasses. “We can’t _all_ have badass names like ‘Aethelthryth.’”

“You’re _literally_ the only person alive who thinks that.”

“Just for that,” he started, his hand resting on the handle to Buckland Dairy, “you’re paying.”

Audrey sighed and slipped the sunglasses off her face. “Fine. I suppose I owe you.”

After they picked out their flavours, the two leaned against the back of the Camaro as they ate their ice cream.

“Thanks for being my ride. I gotta get a new tire for my bike. Got a nail in it or something,” she informed him before taking a swipe over her cone.

“Hey, I like the change in routine,” Billy reassured her with a smile.

“You don’t... “ Audrey paused long enough that he grew concerned about what she was going to say. “You don’t have to be nice to me all the time, ya know. Just because you-”

“I ain’t nice to you because I feel sorry for you,” he said firmly, though not unkindly. “You’re just one of the rare few that I _actually_ like.”

“You just like the garage.”

“It’s a perk.” Audrey elbowed him. “Hey! I coulda dropped this!”

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you,” she mused fondly.

“I’m an enigma,” Billy informed her with pride.

“You’re _something_ , alright.”

* * *

Audrey _hated_ the “Cougar Line,” but it had been easy enough to ignore their presence over the summer so far. Most of the maintenance that needed to be done actually _near_ the pool was usually done before it opened or after it closed and they’d be nowhere in sight.

She hated them because of the way they looked at Billy as he swaggered out and surveyed his little kingdom from atop his throne. Grown women, whose children had gone to high school at the same time as him, gawking at him? It was gross and immature. At least once she’d watched as he walked past them and the only thing that disgusted her more than their ogling was _his_ flirting.

Billy had noticed that she was blowing him off that day after he’d had a conversation with Karen Wheeler.

“Hey, what’s gotten into you? Why are you being a jerk?” he asked in annoyed confusion. She continued to ignore him as she worked on a lounge chair that needed to be fixed right then and there. His anger faltered and turned into concern. He lowered his voice. “That fucking creep isn’t outta jail already, is he? I’ll fuckin’ kill him-”

“No, _you’re_ the creep, Billy,” she hissed.

He was blindsided by the acerbic tone in her voice. “What?”

“Why do you flirt with them?”

“Cause I can,” he answered smugly. “Why, are you jealous?”

“Jealous of a bunch of middle-aged housewife mothers that have _obviously_ become so _bored_ with their breadwinner husbands that they have nothing better to do than vie for a _teenager_ ’s favour?” Audrey looked disgusted as if he’d asked if she wanted to eat worms. “No, Billy, I’m _not_ jealous, I’m _grossed out_.”

For a moment, even though he couldn’t have known, her anger shifted targets as she realised that they _did_ have something she wanted: Billy’s attention.

“They’re harmless,” Billy said dismissively as if she’d started to scold him about the dishes or leaving a bunch of empty beer cans around her garage for her to clean up.

“That conversation certainly didn’t _seem_ harmless.”

“That’s _my,_ ” Billy warned darkly, striking fear into his friend for a second, “business.”

“Sure,” Audrey said in a mocking tone to combat the chill that ran through her, “but you don’t feel like a _scumbag_ leading on and planning to sleep with a _married mother of 3?_ Whose _daughter_ is almost _your_ age? Who gives Max _cookies_ when she visits her _house?_ ”

“Hey, _she’s_ the married one, _not_ me. It’s not my job to keep her marriage together.”

“No, it’s not, but that doesn’t make you _not_ a _slimeball_.” She made a disgusted and weary sound in the back of her throat. “You could have literally _any_ woman you want, they fall over themselves to get to you, but you’re going around seducing women that are old enough to be your _mom?_ ”

“How about you keep your opinions to yourself until you finally get a boyfriend, huh?” Billy almost shoved her shoulder to show her what he thought of her comment, but the kinder side of him managed to convince him not to when he saw how submissive she became in the face of his rising anger. “I thought we were friends.”

“Friends let each other know when they’re making _bad_ decisions,” Audrey insisted, though she couldn’t meet his eyes. “Someone is going to get hurt, and it could very well be you.”

“Oh yeah, like I’m afraid of Ted Wheeler,” he said sarcastically, his cheek quivering with the tension in his jaw. She summoned the courage to look him in the eye, hoping to communicate the gravity of her words.

“What do you think your dad, this _town_ is going to do if you’re the cause of a homewrecking?” Billy raised a warning finger, a fire alight in those eyes that were usually a calming blue when they had her in their sights. Audrey flinched slightly.

“They can’t do _shit_ to me,” he growled, “and neither can _you_.”

“Maybe,” she admitted weakly, “but I _care_ if you ruin your life.”

Billy’s rage faltered just enough for civility to shine through. “I’m going straight home, I can’t give you a ride.”

Audrey made a sound of disappointment. “We were going to see Day of the Dead! Reschedule your adultery for tomorrow, you made a promise!”

He scoffed. “Just go by yourself, what’s stopping you?”

“You want me to _bike_ to the mall in the _dark_ by _myself?_ ”

“I’m not your boyfriend, alright?” he reminded her sharply. “I don’t have to take you everywhere, you are _not. My. Problem._ ”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Audrey said quietly, looking away.

“You were right,” Billy hissed. “I hang out with you because I feel _sorry_ for you.”

The words hurt, which was the intention. She felt foolish for it, because the entire time she’d tried to not become attached. Reminding herself of the cruel jokes that people played on her eventually lost its potency when Billy Hargrove had shown a piece of his true self. Those moments made her feel safe to let down her guard and accept that they were actually friends.

“Drive safe,” she insisted, “I’ve been seeing a lot of deer.”

Billy made a _hmph_ sound before stalking away. From across the pool, Audrey’s gaze met Karen Wheeler’s.

* * *

The sound of the Camaro’s engine echoed off the trees on either side of the road. Beautiful and smooth, Billy Hargrove looked in his rearview mirror to check his reflection one more time. Tongue, hot, pink, and soft, slid over freshly-brushed teeth, smooth and pearly white.

“Hey, Karen,” he practised in his dark seductive tone. He laughed to himself as he reached for the cigarettes tucked away in a dashboard compartment. Something fell onto the floor, its shadow catching his attention. Slowing the Camaro down to a more manageable speed, he reached down, picked the thing off the floor, and looked to see what it was.

An earring, feathery soft and delicate.

_Don’t you feel like a **scumbag?**_

_That doesn’t make you **not** a **slimeball**._

_I **care** if you ruin your life._

A pain crept into his chest.

_That’s **my** business._

_How about you keep your opinions to yourself?_

_You are **not. My. Problem.**_

_I hang out with you because I feel **sorry** for you._

All she did was _care_ about him, and he talked to her like she meant _nothing._ She told him to be _careful_ on his way to do the bad thing she tried to keep him from doing.

He _is_ a scumbag. Just like that creep that he pulled off of her. Just like Tommy, who used her dead mother to goad her into a fight. Just like Neil, who never had a kind word for his son in his entire life.

The only way Billy could beat up himself, punish himself for being the scumbag that hurt his only friend, was to break his own heart.

The Camaro was hurtling down Cornwallis when Billy decided that he wouldn’t go to that motel. He’d make sure his friend got home safe, maybe they could still catch that movie, or see another one, or she could explain that dumb game she was planning that was actually _ingenius_ because he didn’t understand a single word of it. Anything to make things right.

“I’m sorry, Thryth.”

Then everything went so very very wrong.

* * *

Audrey had assumed Billy needed to cool off before they could move past the argument they had. Friends fought, right? Good friends were able to rebuild the bridge.

Maybe they weren’t as friendly as she’d thought. Maybe he was right, that he’d only been her friend out of pity and that pity had finally run out.

She began to consider this possibility when he acted so incredibly different when they saw each other again. He didn’t put out his cigarette as she approached him and his only words to her were, “Don’t you have something better to do?”

Later that night, he didn’t stick around like he normally did, breaking his long-standing promise.

“Alright, Billy, I’m sorry, okay?” she said to his back, pleading. He turned his head to the side. “Just talk to me, please.”

There was a moment where the muscles in his arms tensed and there was a dark look in his eye. Audrey felt her blood go cold in fear.

Then his eyes softened, a tear fell down his cheek, and Billy told her in a voice just as scared as she felt, “Stay away from me, Thryth. You’ll only get hurt.”

He walked past her, but stopped. “I’m sorry that I can’t keep my promise.”

It took her a while to calm down, but Audrey wanted- no, _needed-_ to understand what had happened to make him act this way.

There were two people she could think of to ask and one of them was nearby.

“Mrs. Wheeler.”

Karen looked up at the young woman and it took a moment for recognition to register in her face. “Audrey, right? You went to school with Nancy.”

“Yeah, I was friends with Barb,” she informed her somewhat sadly, the memory of the dead girl derailing her seriousness.

“I’m so sorry,” the mother said sincerely. “What can I do for you?”

Audrey glanced around at the other mothers that made up the Cougar Line, make sure she really wanted to do this. “Well, you know that my parents died some years ago and I, uh… Well, you see, normally I go to Joyce for my mother-advice but she only has Jonathan and Will and _you_ have Nancy so I was hoping that maybe you could-”

“Oh,” Karen expostulated suddenly as she came to understand what the young woman was insinuating. “Of course, sweetheart.”

“Could we, uh, go somewhere-”

“Yeah, of course,” the mother said quickly. “Jill, can you watch Holly for a moment?”

Audrey led the other woman into the pump room where she knew no one had cause to suddenly show up.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Wheeler, but I was partially lying,” she admitted with a guilty look at the floor. “I wanted to talk about Billy Hargrove.”

Karen’s eyes went wide in panic. “Audrey, I didn’t-”

“He’s been acting weird since _that day_ ,” Audrey interrupted, caught up in her rehearsed speech. “We had a fight and he said shitty things to me and I thought we were _friends_ , even though someone like me couldn’t _possibly_ be friends with someone like _him_ , but-”

“Sweetheart-”

“We’re definitely _friends_ , like, I _know_ him, I’ve seen parts of him _no one else has_ , there’s no way he’d just suddenly be a douchebag to me, right?” She stared at Karen, hoping for an answer. Karen stared back and Audrey felt that she had to explain more. “Have I seen him cry one too many times? Did I care _too_ much? Why would someone just suddenly say ‘stay away from me?’ What happened that night?”

“Audrey, I didn’t meet Billy that night,” Karen insisted gently, “and when I tried to apologise the next day, he… he told me to stay away from him too. He seemed… _off_ , I thought he was angry with me for not showing.”

The young woman let this information sink in, but it only left her more confused. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Wheeler.”

“Me too,” she said sadly. “I hope you can figure out what’s wrong and be friends again.”

Audrey didn’t know the full extent of how wrong things could go in Hawkins, but she wasn’t about to lose her only friend for lack of trying.

* * *

Hiding in the back seat of Billy’s Camaro was not exactly the way Audrey expected to be spending her Fourth of July.

Watching seemingly hundreds of people zombie-walk into the steelworks was _definitely_ not what she expected to see when she peeked her head out after Billy got out. Fear of the unknown won over her bravery and the spy merely waited to see what was going to happen next.

A million thoughts ran through her mind about what Billy and Heather were up to on their own, but nothing could explain what she saw or what she would see.

Her father had once told her stories that Audrey thought were just ghost stories, a figment of a Vietnam veteran’s PTSD imagination. Stories of monsters, shadows, and strange noises in the jungles.

Did they see the same terrifying vision? Was the horror of it passed from father to child?

Did her father run as she did, only to realise he was planning to fight back?

Audrey considered, while she stared at the old trunk of things her father had hidden away, why she was so _crazy_ as to think she could do anything about any of this.

It obviously had some hold over Billy, over all of the people she watched walk into that abandoned building. She didn’t even know if any of them were still alive. Would she still want to fight against it if they were all dead? If she had to kill her best friend?

Maybe if the police station’s phone hadn’t kept ringing she might not be riding her father’s motorcycle in its path. The motorcycle that, until very recently, had remained unused in her fear of it.

How much did she care if she was doing this totally insane thing?

Probably a whole lot.

The belt of grenades and the rifle slung over her shoulder felt strange. This wasn’t her. Had her father felt like this too? Like he had a duty that he didn’t want to do?

Panic quickened Audrey’s heart to see the damage on the Camaro, but with no Billy inside, she knew he had to be somewhere else.

When Billy stood up to that monster, whatever it was, she knew that hope was not all lost. But it would be soon if nothing was done.

It really was the Fourth of July. Explosions, loud noises.

Audrey caught the _thing_ ’s attention with a short burst of bullets after it had only managed to get one of its tentacles in Billy’s side. When it turned, she prayed that the souvenir of her father’s time in the military still worked as it was lobbed in a graceful that ended in the Mindflayer’s mouth.

She didn’t look to see, but those unlucky enough to have been pinned down in the mall took the opportunity to rush to El’s aid.

The distraction served its purpose long enough for the Gate to be closed and the Mindflayer was no more.

Audrey might have been stuck in place in mortal fear if she hadn’t heard Max’s voice echo in the new silence.

“Billy!”

Getting there was a blur, the whole day felt like a blur, but she was there, kneeling at his side, pressing a rag to the wound in his side. He’d already begun to lose it with Max hovering over him, but the sight of Audrey’s face was the final straw. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Shush, I got you, I’m here,” she reassured him gently, pushing him back down onto the floor. “You’re gonna stay with us, got it? You have a promise to keep. Remember? We gotta fix up Birdie so we can get out of this town.”

With the immediate threat of the monster gone, the assembled band of tweens and teenagers regained their wits.

“Okay, wait, hey,” Lucas spoke up in confusion, gesturing at Audrey. “What’s your name again? And why do you have _grenades?_ ”

“Oh, I’m Audrey-” the young woman began to explain.

“Audrey Pryce the Queen of Ice!” Steve interrupted excitedly. “I _knew_ I knew you from somewhere.”

Robin elbowed her coworker in the ribs. “What the hell, Steve?”

Realisation dawned on the young man’s face. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, that wasn’t cool. These Russians injected me with truth serum-”

“Yhep, that’s not the weirdest thing I’ve heard today,” Audrey cut him off before he could get ahead of himself.

Billy, who was desperately trying to stay conscious while he choked on his own black blood, found a new source of energy. “Her name is Aethelthryth and she’s a _badass_. Don’t even _start_ , Harrington.”

Max rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Smooth, Billy. You really know how to get people to like you.”

“What, we’re supposed to like Billy now?” Mike argued in his tired fed-up tone. “Did everyone forget what a dick he is, even _before_ the Mindflayer took over his mind?”

“Uh, did you not see how his girlfriend just tossed fucking _grenades_ at a demon from Hell with _zero_ hesitation?” Steve argued, hands on his hips.

Max took over the job of holding the rag so Audrey could try to wipe off her friend’s face and started to pet his hair, a finger to his pulse.

“Mindflayer, huh?” she asked the assembled crowd.

“He’s a monster from another world that sees humans as inferior-”

“Don’t quote me the scripture, kid, I know what a mindflayer is,” she said with a light laugh. “Is that what that _actually_ was or are you just using it as an analogy?”

“It’s more or less both, really,” Will answered nervously.

“I have _got_ to get out of Hawkins,” Audrey muttered to herself.

* * *

When Billy Hargrove woke up in his hospital bed, the first thing that registered through the painkiller haze was a warm weight pressed against his arm.

“Where the fuck am I?” he asked in a gravelly voice after having to clear his throat several times. Audrey’s head jerked up from his side as if the question had put electricity through her chair.

“Oh my god, Billy,” she cried before pressing a desperate kiss against his temple, one hand cradling his face. “I knew you’d wake up.”

There was a lot of new information to process, but the one that gained immediate attention was the fact that he couldn’t raise his arm to touch his friend in order to make sure she was real.

“What the fuck?” Billy growled, giving the restraint as hard of a yank as he could. “What the fuck?!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I promise,” Audrey pleaded, putting a calming hand on his arm. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Why am I tied up?” He tried to sit up, but it caused a sharp stab of pain in his stomach and he had no choice but to lie back down. “What’s happening?”

“I will explain, alright? You just need to relax.”

“How can I _relax?_ ” he hissed at her, but it did little to dissuade her bright expression. He realised she was crying and it caused his own eyes to tear up. Audrey placed her hand on his and curled her fingers around his palm.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I was bleeding out…” Billy closed his eyes tight, trying to remember everything clearly. There were vague images, voices that didn’t come through clearly. He could hear her say “I love you, please don’t leave me,” but it felt more like a dream than reality. His mother, Max, that _thing_ … “I’ve done a lot of bad shit.”

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Audrey reassured him, stroking his hair. He felt wrong, being coddled, but it felt good at the same time. It felt good to be cared for, but horrible that he was so pitiful to need it. “We’re in Fort Wayne. That thing’s gone and I’m here. You’re going to be okay.”

“How long have I been asleep?” he groaned, shifting in the hopes of relieving stiffness in his joints.

“5 days.” She squeezed his hand and smiled sadly. “Almost lost you three times on the way here. They had to do a lot of stuff to give you a chance, but you’re awake now.”

“And Max?”

“She’s with her mom and your dad in a hotel nearby,” Audrey informed him. “Good thing you chose today to wake up, your dad was getting ready to take them all back to Hawkins.”

“Of course he’d give up on me,” Billy grumbled.

“Max and I didn’t,” she said soothingly, stroking his hand with a thumb.

“Why am I tied up?” he asked with obvious agitation.

“They didn’t trust that you were… _yourself_ , again,” Audrey shook her head. “They fed Neil and Susan some bullshit about how you might wake up and try to leave, tear up your stitches and bleed out again.”

“They?”

“G-men.” She rubbed her temple. “Most everyone doesn’t know the truth. They’re covering it up.”

“Who knows?” Billy strained against his restraints with a grunt. She squeezed his hand, hoping to calm him as she listed names and gave the full report of what was the truth and what was government-mandated lies. He sighed, closing his eyes tightly in pain. “Why’d they save me, then? If I’m responsible for so much shit?”

“It wasn’t your fault, Billy.”

“If I hadn’t gone down that road-”

“Billy, it was bad luck-”

“I was going to turn around,” he continued to say in agony, his legs weakly tugging their restraints. “I was going to turn around.”

“What?”

“I thought about what you said and,” Billy tried to calm down his heart, the sound of it on the monitor too obnoxious, “I was going to make sure you got home.”

“Oh…” Audrey stood up and pressed a kiss to his head. “It’s okay. We’re safe and in the same room now.”

“If only I’d turned around sooner-”

“There’s no use in that kinda talk,” she tried to convince him. “We just gotta focus on getting you better.”

At that moment, someone thought it was time to break up the happy little reunion.

“Oh my god, Billy!” Max Mayfield cried upon seeing that her stepbrother was awake. She rushed to the bed and threw herself on him, a groan reminding her that there was a reason he was confined to a bed. “When did you wake up?”

“Like 20 minutes ago,” Audrey answered for him. She looked at the adults that entered the room and nervously smiled. “I’m gonna go talk to them about the, ya know, handcuffs.”

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” Neil Hargrove growled at his son.

“Neil!” Susan pleaded in shock. “He _just_ woke up!”

“Do you have any idea how much this is gonna cost?!” her husband continued to chastise. “You fucking idiot!”

“Neil!” Max and Susan screamed, one more affronted than the other but both definitely in agreement that this was not appropriate.

The man pushed past the young girl and grabbed the front of the hospital gown covering Billy’s chest. Susan went out into the hallway, calling out for someone. “It’s all your fault Max was there in the first place, and you go and get in a fucking _wreck?_ You can say _goodbye_ to that Camaro, because _I’m_ not fixing it!”

“Fuck you, Dad,” Billy ground out bravely. Sure, he couldn’t fight back; maybe being physically incapable of trying was what made him brave. Maybe it was because he’d faced something much more sinister than Neil Hargrove and come out the other side still breathing.

Neil might have argued if a pair of stone-faced MPs hadn’t come into the room and bodily removed him, raising hell and yelling something about “rights.”

“I’ll be right back, Billy,” Max promised. Her mother stopped her on her way out the door. “I just need to use the bathroom, jeez.”

“I’m glad you’re awake, sweetheart,” Susan told the young man in the bad after some nervous inner debate, her hands fidgeting with her purse.

“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled.

“Audrey has been a good friend to you and Max,” she said with a smile. “She wouldn’t leave your side the whole time.”

“She’s alright.”

“Max said that you needed so much blood in the ambulance that they hooked Audrey right up and she told them to take as much as wouldn’t kill her,” Susan continued reverently as if it was a story from a romance novel. “I believe it, too. She was white as a sheet even by the time your dad and I got here.”

Billy’s contrite answers failed him as he tried to recall anything after the battle in the mall.

“I know you don’t like me, and that’s fair,” Susan spoke up, bringing her stepson back to reality, “but I’m so thankful for how you protected Maxine.”

“She’s my sister,” he insisted, unable to look at how admiring the woman had become. “It’s what brothers do.”

Max did not come back alone, Audrey, a few people in lab coats, and a few MPs in tow. “Come on, Mom, we should go before Neil makes us hitchhike back home.”

The sight of so many stern male faces convinced Susan that her daughter was right. “We’ll come visit tomorrow, I promise.”

“Miss Pryce,” the most senior of the doctors said once the Mayfields were gone, leaving a tired-looking Audrey behind to linger in the doorway, “this might take some time. Why don’t you freshen up and get some rest? Mister Hargrove is in good hands.”

Her eyes flicked to her friend still cuffed to the bed. “He better be here when I come back.”

* * *

Billy was there when she returned and that was a massive relief. If he wasn’t, Audrey knew she’d be on a suicide mission to extract him from whatever secret government bunker they’d put him in or exact revenge for what they probably considered a mercy killing.

While she was gone, he looked at the pile of things that she’d left behind near his bed. Someone had obviously brought them, probably at her request to have something to do as she sat vigil at his bedside. There was a hulking mass of yarn, which was no surprise, and a stack of various books, even less of a surprise. What _did_ surprise him was the manual for his Camaro, a mechanic’s catalogue, and a notepad. Curious and with nothing to do, he flipped through it all, noting all the little marks and dogears. There was a complex list of repairs, parts, and prices that followed some hidden code. What had caught his attention was that there were names alongside some of these things.

“I’m sorry, I stood in the shower and I think my brain just… turned off for 30 minutes,” Audrey sighed as she sat down, scrubbing at her tired face.

“What’s this?” Billy asked in serious suspicion, holding the notebook up.

“Some people are thankful for what you did, wanted to help fix the Camaro,” she answered too cheerily for his liking.

“This is all my _fault!_ ” he hissed angrily, weakly tossing the notebook at her. Audrey nonchalantly caught it and put it back primly with the others.

“It’s not, you gotta stop thinking about it that way,” Audrey insisted, placing a hand on his. “Mrs. Henderson, The Sinclairs, The Wheelers? They think you helped save their kids. Even the people who know the truth wanted to help out.”

Billy ripped his hand away. “It’s _bullshit._ ”

She sighed and rubbed at her eyes, the dark circles underneath them making her appear paler than normal. “Billy, you’re my friend and I _really_ want to make you feel better, but I don’t know _how_ and it’s really _hard_ and I’m too exhausted for this and I’m _sorry_.”

“I don’t need your coddling-”

“And I didn’t need your protection!” she interrupted with eyes wide in a harried expression. “But it made me feel safe! And I got to become your friend! And now I want to do that for you because you just went through some fucked up shit!”

“You don’t get to make me feel bad about how exhausting it is to deal with me, you brought this on yourself,” Billy informed her sternly. Audrey made a sound of frustration that was more like an animal’s growl.

“You know what? Fine. I’m tired, I’m gonna go sleep in a real bed and maybe I’ll wake up knowing what’s the right thing to do,” she mused aloud as she threw her things into the bag that they’d been brought in. As she walked out the door, she mumbled, “I love you, see you tomorrow.”

Billy laid there staring at the doorway, expecting his friend to come back and explain what she’d just said or maybe hurl one final insult, but when that didn’t happen he could only accept what he’d heard.

“What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Buckland Dairy_ : "Buckland" is a reference to the Shire in Tolkien's writing, much like the canonically-used "Mirkwood" is a reference to the same work.  
>  _Killer Queen_ : A reference to the Queen song of the same title.


	3. Chapter 3

To say there was an apology would be a misunderstanding of how the friendship between Billy Hargrove and Audrey Pryce worked.

As a young man that had been told his whole life to be tough, which meant no coddling of any sort and definitely no “woman” emotions, needing people’s help and sympathy was difficult. He was not only angry about it, he hated himself for what happened; no amount of reassurance and kind words could convince him that he wasn’t completely responsible. In light of this, Audrey tried to not let it get to her and forgave him.

Dealing with the emotional labour of it all wore on her and it took all of her strength to not smack the sense back into her friend. Sometimes that strength lost, but it usually resulted in Audrey walking away. Even though he was being harsh, Billy knew that if he continued there would be a day that his only friend wouldn’t come back. The dark voice in his head said he deserved that, goaded him into doing something so cruel that she’d have no choice but to cut him out of her life, but the warm light that she brought into his life always won.

What exactly constituted this big show of assholery was unclear, as he Billy had managed to already throw tantrums and hurl insults, most of which went without a verbal apology.

Not wanting to deal with the man, Audrey came to the Hargrove house to sit with the young man only while Neil was away, leaving Max to volunteer her time. His sister had much thicker skin than his friend when it came to his bad temper, but Audrey made a good show of not letting it get to her.

Of course, everyone had their limits.

“Ya know, if you don’t like it, you can take them down,” he told her after she’d been caught giving a particular scantily-clad model a grossed-out glance one too many times. He rolled his lit cigarette between his fingers. God knows where they came from, Audrey had refused to buy them for him now. “Not like I can stop you, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied, keeping her eyes trained on the Dungeons & Dragons manual in her lap. Billy blew his smoke toward her as he eyed her up and down, watching as she covered her mouth to cough.

“The ladies. I guess it’s hard looking at something you’ll never be.”

“Maybe I think it’s exploitative and leads to people having unrealistic and dangerous standards for themselves,” Audrey said matter-of-factly. “I’ve never wanted to be those girls, because I’m _not_ those girls.”

“Those girls get all the dudes,” he purred with an almost malicious curl on his lips. “You’ve been missing out.”

“Well, Billy, maybe I don’t want guys that want that in a woman,” she retorted tiredly, rolling her eyes as she flipped a page. Perhaps it wouldn’t have before this whole fucked up July, but it made him mad that she’d so blatantly _insult_ him.

“Yet, so many girls want me, even girls like you,” he informed her darkly. “I mean, really, how many guys have _you_ fucked? I bet all the ones I never bothered with, the ones like Max’s friends? The freaks and nerds? I guess even Jonathan Byers got Nancy Wheeler, not like she’s my type, but if Harrington was the king and she was once his queen, well-”

“One.”

“What was that? Speak up for the back of the class.” Billy held a finger behind his ear as if he was hard of hearing, a shit-eating grin on his face. “You interrupted me, I didn’t get a chance to hear.”

“One,” she barely managed to repeat. Audrey’s face went beet-red and her cheeks were already wet with tears. She shoved her things back into her backpack and stood up. “I know you’re fucking suffering but I fucking hate you right now.”

“Oh, come on! You can’t take a joke?” Billy called after her as she fled his room. “I thought you were tougher than that. Just like a woman to fucking cry about a joke!”

He half-expected her to come back, to tear into him some more or maybe just accept the abuse. Of course, in the end, his real expectation would win: she’d never come back, just like his mother.

Eventually, Max came home and her first stop was Billy’s room. Looking around and seeing no sign of his normal keeper, she was confused. “Where’d Audrey go?”

“I dunno, ran off,” he told her in a bored tone as he flipped through a magazine, cigarette bobbing between his lips.

“Ran _off?_ ” She snatched the magazine out of his hands, saw that it was gross, and flicked it into a corner of his room with a disgusted sound.

“Hey!” Billy shouted angrily at her. Securing the cigarette between his fingers, he pointed at her. “Who said you get to be a little bitch again?”

“Billy, what the fuck do you think is gonna happen when you keep _shitting_ on someone? Audrey’s going to stop coming over and then what are you going to do?”

“I don’t need her help,” he retorted stubbornly, “I’m fine on my own.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever, you’re so big and strong, normal people don’t need someone to help them get out of bed,” Max said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “Maybe don’t make one of the few people who care about you cry and not want to come back?”

“It’s not _my_ fault she’s being a bitch!”

“I highly doubt Audrey has ever been a _bitch_ to you. She was a human blood-bag for you and slept at your side for days waiting for you to wake up,” she said, eyes narrowing with skepticism. “But, sure, keep being Neil. Like father, like son, right?”

Max stormed off, tired of her brother’s temper. Billy wasn’t done with the conversation, her words taking a moment to sink in.

“Wait, Max! Max! What’s that supposed to mean?! I don’t understand!”

* * *

Neil Hargrove had the weekend off, so Audrey had a good excuse to not come around. The man threw all sorts of temper tantrums regarding the hospital bills that his son’s “stupid heroism” had earned and the damage to the Camaro, but the government had seen fit to write off the debt and it appeared as though the car would be a cumulative effort. The time it’d take to piece the poor car back together didn’t seem so bad considering Billy’s injuries kept him around the house for a while yet.

Despite the fact that his side had been practically held together by spit, Billy’s father couldn’t understand how it could “take so fucking long.” Without the threat of financial ruin, Neil had resorted to just plain verbal abuse, which wasn’t new. No one could exactly tell him that his son had been possessed by some sort of slime demon from another dimension that was hellbent on destroying humanity. Or that his blood had turned black and had to be completely replaced, which was what necessitated his best friend volunteering as much blood as they could take without killing her. No, Neil was such a shitty person, he probably would’ve found some reason to turn _that_ into a negative. 

Max had called _him_ “Neil.” Was he? Certainly, he’d been shitty to people in his life, had turned into a bully, hurled the same insults. But they were _different._

Weren’t they?

Without Audrey around, Billy was alone with his thoughts, which wasn’t his favourite thing to be. Usually, when he thought too hard about who he was, he’d get in a fight. Or find a girl. This time he didn’t; not only because he physically _couldn’t_ , but because something in him had begun to change. There’d always been two voices in his head: Neil’s, which was cruel even to himself, and the child Billy used to be, the one that was happy. Now there was a third, growing braver and more sure of itself. It could be hard, but not cruel, and was kind, but not innocent. It was the voice that had told Billy to put out his cigarettes, to not raise his voice, to not drive home drunk, or sneak up on someone from behind without announcing his presence. The one that told him to turn around that night on Cornwallis Road.

It didn’t always work and it wasn’t always as obvious of a voice. Sometimes it took a while to come through the noise of all his other thoughts, sometimes it never managed to be heard. Sometimes it brought beer and food, tried to process some piece of nerd culture as it was excitedly explained to him, and it usually always asked to be gently touched without some expectation of more. It replayed events over and over again, highlighting the rights and wrongs as reminders of what and what not to do.

Billy almost punched the wall, but the voice won. The voice had been losing time and time again and it was sick and tired of losing after fighting so hard to exist in the first place. The voice commanded him to pick up the phone. The voice demanded he actually say the words.

“Thryth, it’s me, don’t hang up,” Billy said quickly, knowing the sound of his voice might, at this point, drive his friend to hang up the phone. Were they still friends? He didn’t deserve to be her friend, that was for sure. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Audrey asked coldly. Billy wanted to give up, but that wasn’t what the voice wanted.

“I was a dick- I _have been_ a dick,” he admitted honestly, which was almost the hardest thing he’d ever done. “That shit I said was fucked up. That was shit my dad woulda said and- And I don’t wanna be like him.”

“Okay,” she said in a simple monotone, completely unbelievable. It broke his heart.

“I know I don’t deserve you for a friend. I’m a shithead with no hope of being anything else, it’s in my blood-”

“No, Billy, that’s _my_ blood,” Audrey interrupted angrily, disregarding her own little nitpicking voice that reminded her that it was also several other people’s blood and by now his body was going back to making its own and she might very well no longer be a part of him. “You hurt me like no other person could by reminding me of that shitty night that I keep trying to escape and never will.”

“I know, I wish I could-”

“I’m so fucking mad at you! I thought we were friends! _Real_ friends! And you stabbed me in the fucking back for what? Because needing someone’s help makes you weak? You should be fucking grateful, you should be _thanking_ me for caring about you enough to help without being asked! I fucking hate you for making me _selfish!_ ”

Billy was used to the insults where he was a piece of shit, was a weak cowardly pussy, a fucking _embarrassment_. He didn’t know what to do about being yelled at for making someone else feel like the shitty one for wanting to be thanked, for wanting just one day where he wasn’t difficult, a day where they could act like everything was normal after it had gone absolutely wrong.

On its trip down memory lane, the voice reminded Billy of certain things. Such as how, before she’d even found herself in his debt, Audrey had willingly rigged a bet so he could get a set of tires for free. No matter how he looked at it, it had been an act without the hope of reward. When he’d been a scumbag right in front of her and then argued about it in the menacing tone of a man who could snap her arm if he wanted, she’d told him to drive safely. Walking out of his hospital room after he’d been a dick again, she’d told him that she loved him, which was undoubtedly the automatic response of someone who’d grown up with a loving family that said “I love you” when they wouldn’t see the other for some time. It reminded him that she could’ve taken care of herself this whole time, but she let him be her protector because it made her feel safe and she wanted him to feel safe too. She gave him a purpose that wasn’t a fight or a fuck, a reason to let off the accelerator every now and then.  
It had caused a pain in his chest that had no outlet except tears.

“I wish I knew how to make it up to you,” Billy told her sadly. “I feel lost and everything hurts and I wish you were here to lie in bed with me again because it makes me feel like everything’s going to be okay.”

The phone line crackled as Audrey let out a tired breath in one long sigh. “I have to help at the garage. I’ll come tomorrow. I gotta go.”

She didn’t give him time to reconsider, to realise what a stupid thing he’d said.

For Billy Hargrove, the truth often felt pretty stupid.

* * *

From his bed, he could hear the doorbell and even the soft sound of the conversation between Susan and the person Billy hoped was there. He tried to stand up, to show his friend that he wasn’t her burden anymore, but he had to lie back down with a pained groan, a hand to his side. The stitches had been removed, but those mad scientist doctors that the government sent to look at him said that he would be slow to heal. His body had been through a lot in a short period of time and it would take much longer to go back to normal.

The idea of being this fragile for a month, maybe more, was almost worse than death. Billy was young and prided himself on how much he worked out, now he could barely get out of bed without a helping hand. It was no wonder he was so angry all the time, but he had to do a little better if those helping hands were going to stick around.

“Did you need up?” Audrey asked with honest concern, putting her backpack down on his desk.

“Just wanted to see if I could do it,” Billy mumbled dejectedly, eyes to the ceiling. Another hand felt his side, gentle and cool.

“You’re burning up, I’ll go get you something.” He took her hand before she could walk away. “What’s wrong?”

“Why’d you come back?” His voice was sad and deepened by his prone state. “I’ve been a real shithead to you.”

“I dunno, I guess I’m an idiot that thinks you might actually change if I gave you a chance.” Audrey squeezed his hand. “I’ll go find something to make you feel better.”

Was he really like Neil? Had he turned Audrey into a Susan? But Billy knew her to be strong, independent, and intolerant of people’s bullshit. Was that what friends were for? To wait out your worst times to help you get back to better times?

“Here you go,” Audrey interrupted his thoughts as she came back into the room. In one hand she held a pair of pills, in the other was a tall glass of ice water. A little groaning later, he sighed in relief as the cold liquid cooled his insides. “Two of Uncle Ron’s mechanics left to start a garage somewhere in Missouri. He said that once you’re back on your feet, you could come help out.”

“What?” He looked around as if something in his room would have the answer. “After I’ve been a dick to you?”

“I think once you start going back to normal, you won’t be a dick,” she mused as she put the empty glass down on his desk. “Well, less of one.”

“You really know how to punch below the belt,” Billy complained with a smile. Really taking in her appearance for the first time since she’d been gone, he could see how exhausted she really was. He scooted back on the bed and swung his legs over so he was lying down again. Patting the spot next to him, he bid her come over. “You look like shit.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re one to talk,” Audrey said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. But, all the same, she sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at it suspiciously. “I don't want to think about how many other girls have been in this bed.”

“You'd be the first one to cuddle up.”

“My god, you _are_ ill.” Careful to not actually injure him further, she flopped the rest of the way down and curled up to his side. “I suppose platonic cuddling isn't manly.”

“No, but,” the arm that was under her head wrapped around her shoulders and laid on her arm, “I got super fucked up and this makes me feel better.”

“I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since,” she admitted, her head lying on his chest.

“Me neither,” Billy confided in her, staring up at the ceiling. The weight of her head was comforting and so was the smell of her hair, as plain as it was. “I’ll watch your back if you watch mine.”

“I've heard Steve Harrington is quite the little monster hunter,” Audrey said facetiously.

“Steve Fucking Harrington?”

“The world will never know our heroic deeds. Such a shame,” she answered with a manner of forlorn wist.

“Didn't he make fun of you in school?” The tone of his voice had been protective, almost offended. Audrey giggled and pinched a softer and undamaged part of his stomach.

“Yeah and he's kind of an idiot, but apparently he's grown into his heart of gold.” Billy scoffed in protest. “What, are you jealous?”

“Of _him?_ ” he asked, disbelieving that the question could be at all serious. “No. No. I would _never_ be jealous of _Harrington._ ”

“I dunno, he helped me out the other day, he might be my new best friend-”

“Over my dead fucking body he is,” Billy growled before making an undignified snorting noise as his uninjured side was tickled. He realised she was leading him on and shook her in retaliation. “I bet Harrington doesn’t think that story you’re planning for your game is cool.”

“He hangs out with those kids, but I don’t think he understands it, no.” Audrey smiled even though Billy couldn’t see it. “You think it’s cool?”

“I don’t know how you’d convince twice as many people to play some game, but a group of heroes made up of dudes possessed by demons or hearing voices and shit? I bet a lot of people haven’t thought of that.” He felt dumb admitting it, but it _did_ seem cool. The amount of effort he saw her put into the story, the characters, and even building the maps and models, was pretty inspiring. It was surprising that she didn’t find him so incredibly boring with how bright and interesting she was at her core, but he must be doing _something_ right to be her best friend.

“Well, if Billy Hargrove thinks it’s cool, it _must_ be.”

* * *

Once he was no longer in danger of hurting himself, Billy was insistent on being on the move and doing things for himself. This meant he wanted to spend as little time as possible in the Hargrove house, but the Camaro was out of commission. Without even asking, Audrey presented him with her father’s motorcycle and gave him permission to use it sparingly and safely. She made him swear on the Camaro, one hand on its dented hood, the other on his heart.

The garage at the Pryce house was rearranged to accommodate their new project. The Firebird was moved, with Jonathan and Will’s help, to the spot where the motorcycle used to sit. Rebuilding its transmission and fixing the upholstery was left for an unknown future date in favor of the Camaro, which now sat in its old spot. After it had been checked over by the government for who-knows-what reason, her Uncle Ron towed it to her house and set it in place.

First came taking the damn thing apart, which was no easy task. Billy felt like a wuss being the weaker one, but he considered it part of his workout and training for his pending job at the mechanic’s. He already spent 2 days a week there, most of it spent watching and learning and doing really minor stuff that every new mechanic was burdened with doing to earn their stripes. He still felt like complaining and grumbling, being stuck doing the grunt work, but he got the job because of Audrey and he wasn’t about to risk being in both Pryces’ good graces by being ungrateful. It was an interest of his, it wasn’t some boring desk job, and it paid, so there really wasn’t anything to be sour about.

The Camaro had gotten so beaten up that it was hard to think of anything that _wasn’t_ in need of replacement. It was beginning to be a Frankenstein’s Monster of a car, a mixture of spruced-up originals, refurbished pieces from junkyards within a reasonable drive from Hawkins, and catalogue orders. They didn’t know how they could afford it; it would be slow-going with his meager starting wages. With the destruction of Starcourt, Audrey picked up shifts at the comic shop, helped out at her uncle’s garage, and had been working pretty hard to fix up the mess made at the pool.

Really, most of the limiting factors had become Audrey’s availability. The Wheelers and Sinclairs, not knowing the full and true story, had offered quite a bit of money in gratitude for Billy’s part in “saving” the Party from certain death at the mall. The Party, upon Lucas’s insistence that they _had_ to do something- especially after he saw how torn up Billy’s condition left Max- buckled down and tried to gather as much money as they could. The Byers’ had nothing to offer except a helping hand. Cain supplied them with emotional support.

A lot of the time, Billy just came to Audrey’s house and waited for her to come back. He didn’t want to be in that house anymore, staring at the same walls, listening for the sound of his father coming home. It was there in her garage where Max would often find him, sometimes arriving a little panicked as if she was worried he’d run off or been taken while no one was watching. She might help a little, but usually she watched as Billy cleaned things up.

“This is really weird,” she told him once, sitting at the kitchen table while he made lunch.

“What’s weird?” he asked in a calm and distant monotone. 

“It’s like you _live_ here,” Max explained, scratching Cain behind the ears. “You hardly ever come home, things have gone missing from your room, and you _cook_ and _clean_ and Audrey isn’t even here.”

“It’s quiet,” Billy confided, shutting off the gas to the stove. “No one bothers me and it _almost_ has everything I could want.”

“Are you guys, like, _together?_ ”

“No, we’re friends,” he insisted, sitting down with a little more force than necessary. His expression dared her to argue. “She might get tired of me some day, I dunno.”

“It’s like a whole new side of you,” Max said to herself. “I kinda like it.”

Billy chewed his food and stared at it in front of him as he considered her words. He wasn’t as angry as he used to be and life appeared a little more worth it than it used to. Even though he wouldn’t say things were _perfect_ , they were certainly _better_ and he couldn’t deny that.

“Yeah, I like it too.”

* * *

They were practically roommates, though Billy felt a little bad taking the bigger room with the bigger bed when he didn’t really pay for anything except food, but he could understand how it would be weird to sleep in your parents’ bed, even if they’d been dead for years.

Max had been right, things _were_ disappearing from his room. Some of them were tossed- perhaps some _less savoury_ items- and others- such as clothes, sentimental things, and the personal grooming items that he still used because they made him feel normal again- found their way to Audrey’s house. Things that had been collecting dust in her parents’ room began to disappear as well- a lot of things were given away because she had no use for them and the rest either found a new spot or were packed away. At first, Billy had _definitely_ felt like he was intruding, that he was forcing someone to give up the comforting normalcy of the past, but Audrey appeared so… _happy_ to have someone sleeping in that room and sitting across from her at dinner. Perhaps at the cost of the physical reminders of her parents, he’d renewed the memory of human energy.

Neil Hargrove would’ve been pretty pissed off to know what his son did while he was alone. First of all, he’d clean up. The dishes Audrey had to leave behind as she rushed out the door? He’d wash them off, make his own breakfast if he hadn’t already, and then clean them again. The things she’d left out because she was used to being the only human in the house? Billy would precisely put them in their respective containers or make a new home for them so they wouldn’t get ruined. Hosing off the dog, rearranging the garage, cleaning out the shed- Once, he’d even cleaned the refrigerator! It was hard to admit that he wasn’t strong enough to do a lot of things on his own like he used to, he needed to get his strength back up, but he also wanted to have Audrey there when he did anything more than clean up parts for the Camaro. It was a project that belonged to both of them.

Aside from _clean_ , which had to be the most emasculating activity in Neil’s mind, Billy expanded the number of recipes he could cook without burning something. Once in awhile, he’d surprise his hostess with dinner on the table when she came home and more than once Audrey joked that he was her little housewife. The books on the shelves were devoured systematically, even the manuals for her games; he’d forgotten how much he’d liked to read as a kid until there was no one around to think he was a geek for it. He did laundry, even hung it up to dry when they had a sunny day. Cain got long walks, belly rubs, and was hosed down in the backyard. At least once Joyce Byers had come over in search of Audrey only to find Billy- shirtless, sunglasses on, the rare cigarette hanging from his lips, hand on a hip- spraying the Great Dane like it was a game.

Billy tried to not completely disappear from his actual home. He worried what Neil would do if his main punching bag was gone. Who would get it worse, Susan or Max? His father had hit his mother, it’s what drove her away to never return. Max wasn’t Neil’s kid, but her big brother couldn’t live with himself if his absence meant Susan would leave Max behind to save her own skin. He couldn’t live with himself if it was Max that got the full force of his father’s wrath.

Neil didn’t really argue with him anymore. It certainly wasn’t because his son was still healing, an impressive scar spreading from his right side like a firework blast. He didn’t know the truth, that Billy had faced down a literal monster and walked away, but maybe there was something about the young man that was different. Something had made him stronger, braver- a more solid wall that would break the fist that punched it. Perhaps his eyes had become sharper, his posture straighter, his steps surer. This did not mean his father was _kinder_ , no. It was not the same thing that happened when Max threatened her brother with that baseball bat last year. Max had gained his respect, but Neil would _never_ respect his son.

Billy, who used to go out all the time, found himself to be a homebody. He’d been given the gift of a vehicle to borrow while his wheels were getting fixed up, but that hadn’t been the reason he stayed in at night. Calls from girls went unreturned, his flirting was automatic rather than intentional, and he had every intention to keep his promise not to drive like a maniac. He would get restless sometimes, sure, and to sate that wandering spirit he’d head into town. Billy tried to not make it a habit, but he’d end up wherever Audrey was working and bug her as much as he could without getting her in trouble. Sometimes he’d bring her lunch and they’d eat together on her break, just because he missed her.

Living together _did_ lead to interesting situations. There was a weight set in the third and smallest bedroom. He made good use of it, though not as much as he used to. It had been early in his transition to being her roommate; Billy couldn’t sleep well the night before and decided to just get up anyway. Apparently, Audrey woke up at the crack of dawn, because the clink of metal caught his attention as he made his way to the kitchen in search of something to eat. He stood there in the doorway for a bit, watching like some sort of creep.

“You’re way stronger than I thought you’d be,” he admitted unabashedly, eyeing how much weight she’d put onto the bar. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Audrey was shy after her initial start at being interrupted. Billy knew she had to be in the middle of her workout, but she didn’t seem to want to continue. “Hey, we could workout together. I might actually need some help while I get my strength back.”

She smiled at him, a flush on her cheeks that might have easily been exertion, but it made his guts feel funny. “Yeah, gotta get you back in shape somehow, right?”

“I should just move in,” he said with a laugh. “This place has everything I need.”

“You _do_ spend the night a lot,” she pointed out. It wasn’t so much a judgement as an observation. After all, she didn’t want to be around Neil any more than Billy did.

“You want me to pay rent, or is it like a motel?” he asked playfully, flashing her his smile.

“The least you could do is replace my food.” Billy opened his mouth to argue. “Beer is _not_ food.”

There were even more things they did together than work on the cars. This did not, however, mean that everything was fine at all times.

After dinner, they’d be so tired that there was no way they could stand in the garage any longer, so they’d sit down together on the couch. He’d always turn on her ancient television and she’d almost never pay attention. Audrey would always be working on something, usually a bit of crocheting. He was fairly certain she’d just take one blanket apart and make it again, because he couldn’t understand where it was coming from.

Over time, he’d start paying more attention to her than the TV. He was so fascinated that she couldn’t help but notice.

“I could teach you, if you want,” Audrey told him once after she’d caught him staring. “It’s kinda fun, takes your mind off stuff.”

Billy quickly turned away. “No, that’s girl stuff, I’m not a fag.”

She huffed, so obviously upset that he had to be blind not to realise it. “Lots of things used to be ‘guy stuff’ and now it’s ‘girl stuff,’ so why does anyone care?”

Considering how docile he’d been since their last big fight, it was probably inevitable that another would start. It was as if a switch had been flipped rather forcefully. “Because it’s fucked up and no one’s gonna call me a fag!”

Audrey threw her knitting onto the coffee table with a harsh sigh. “If people think that of you, that’s _their_ problem! _You_ are the only one who gets to decide what’s the truth, _not_ other people.”

“It’s _my_ fucking problem!” he roared in retaliation.

“You _fuck_ every woman with a pulse, you’re _obviously_ not into guys.”

“You don’t fucking listen!” Billy told her, his face beet red. “I won’t do gay shit!”

“No, _you’re_ not listening,” Audrey threw back into his face sharply. “Gay guys are just normal people! The only thing that makes them gay is that they love other dudes!”

“Fuck you!” was all he could think to shout in argument.

“I’m going to bed,” she said with an angry finality, getting to her feet suddenly.

There was a lot of pent-up energy from a fight unfinished and he wasn’t about to drag her into a physical altercation. Blessedly he knew better than to get on that motorcycle and get himself killed trying to speed the anger out of him. So, he went to workout, probably more than he should have, but it worked.

When he woke up the next day, she’d already left. Billy wasn’t about to apologise but at the very least he wanted to know that Audrey didn’t hate him.

While she was out, he looked through the only books that he hadn’t touched yet. They had no words and the stories they told were of a family that was long gone. Maybe somewhere there were pictures of him smiling with his mother, but he didn’t know where they were. Even in their relative youth, he recognised the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Pryce, photos of them still hanging in the hallway.

He did not, however, recognise the people that they were clinging to, embracing, or kissing. It became obvious why Audrey was mad at him, he’d practically talked shit about her parents. Well, about half of each of them, judging by the pictures.

When she came home, Billy had dinner ready for her. It wasn’t easy for him to admit fault, but he couldn’t deny that their friendship meant a lot to him.

“Thryth, I’m sorry,” he tried to say bravely, hoping it came out as sincere as he meant it to be. “That was a stupid argument.”

“Sure, whatever,” Audrey said dismissively, eyeing their plates and the way he was bracing his hands on the back of a chair.

“Neil just… used to say shit like that,” Billy continued, not really intending to open up more than an apology. The way she talked and looked at him told him that she wasn’t convinced he meant what he said. “‘Don’t be a pussy.’ ‘I won’t have a fag for a son.’ I never thought any better of it. I guess I just… Like father like son, right?”

She didn’t say anything, only slid her backpack off her shoulder and placed it on an unoccupied chair. Something in him panicked, telling him he was in the calm before the storm. He’d seen her throw Tommy across the lawn, so what would she do if she was _really_ angry? Billy didn’t want to find out.

“I don’t… _really_ have a problem with it, if I think about it, ya know, if I’m being really honest,” he rambled nervously. “I’ve, maybe, I dunno, wanted to make out with a few guys before. You’re the only one that knows that.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Audrey asked calmly.

“Cause you… obviously don’t have a problem with it either,” Billy admitted bashfully. He combed his hair with his fingers and licked his lips. “With your… parents and all.”

“Ah, the photo albums…” she mumbled to herself.

“Yeah, maybe I, uh, shouldn’t have. I guess that counts as snooping, I’m sorry.”

“Maybe, but it’s fine,” Audrey assured him with a small smile. It made him feel so much better to see her sit down at the table to eat.

“Maybe you could teach me the shit you do,” Billy offered, sitting in his own spot happily after placing a beer in front of them both. “Seems fun.”

“A lot of shit is fun,” she told him with a laugh, “that’s why you’ve been cleaning up all my messes.”

The first of many hobbies that she imparted was knitting. After some deliberation, Billy decided to make a scarf; it would be small, simple, and utilitarian. It was rainbow-coloured and a bit ugly, but it was a scarf and he made it. _He_ wasn’t about to wear it, but it seemed wrong to just let it sit around. So, he gave it to Max.

“What am I gonna do with this ugly thing?” she asked with a sneer, holding it up for inspection. “Where’d you even get this? Was it made by a blind grandma?”

“ _I_ made it, you little punk,” Billy answered her, the tone fairly amused. “Love you too.”

Later in the year, when it got really cold, Max would wear it all the time. Every time he caught her, she’d tell him to shut up, even when he didn’t say anything. Sometimes he’d just smile, which Max found almost scary, because he was happy to see her wear it.

* * *

Since the destruction of Starcourt Mall, the nearest one was too far away for bikes and a regular bus schedule hadn’t been made to accommodate the change.

This meant that Max started begging Billy for a ride when her mother was too busy. Until the Camaro was back in working order, he had to borrow a station wagon from Uncle Ron’s garage. It was ugly and uncool, but it got the job done.

Usually his sister could get a ride with whoever drove the other members of the so-called Party to the mall, but a special exception had been made.

“Wow, you _really_ don’t have any cool clothes, huh?” Max asked flippantly one morning. She’d decided to stop by the Pryce house to check on Billy and ended up sitting on Audrey’s bed as the young woman folded her laundry.

“What’s wrong with band shirts and flannels?” she retorted in a self-mocking tone. She’d always been self-conscious about her clothing, but she’d always chosen her own comfort over fashion trends.

“Do you own even a _single_ dress?” The skater girl got to her feet and started rifling through the closet. “Not even a _skirt?_ ”

“I guess not.” Audrey debated her next sentence, its potential volatile. “You’re not exactly the girliest person I know either.”

“I have some stuff, they’re just not great for skating,” Max explained with a laugh. “Come on, I’ll help you out!”

“What?”

“I did it for El when she dumped Mike. It’ll be fun! And Billy will _definitely_ ask you out when he sees you in a dress. I’ve seen his type.”

Audrey thought it over while she folded the rest of her laundry. On the one hand, it sounded awful. On the other, she _did_ want Billy to notice her… On the third hand that sprouted as a result of whatever toxic waste dumpsite or ancient burial ground Hawkins was built over, Max seemed interested in spending time with her and that couldn’t be bad, right?

“Okay,” she relented at last. The young girl ran off to head off Billy on his return from walking Cain.

As they walked around the mall, Billy looked about as excited to be there as a corpse at a funeral, but what else was he going to do? Go home and have to come back? Besides, he was curious to see what Max was going to convince Audrey to try on. Some stuff, he would have admitted under threat of bodily harm, looked good, but it didn’t make sense when he imagined it on his friend. She was short and strong, hair cropped short, face devoid of anything more than chapstick. He liked how low-maintenance she was, but if she wanted to do something different, well, he wasn’t really in a position to discourage it.

Max held up a dress against Audrey’s figure, judged it, and insistently put it in the other young woman’s hands. “Go try it on.”

“I dunno…”

“Come on, Billy’s gonna love it,” the redhead whispered with a knowing smirk.

While Audrey was in the dressing room, Max stood next to a bored and preoccupied-looking Billy. “There’s something different about you.”

“I’ve been through some shit,” he answered tiredly. “I drove here in a _station wagon_.”

“I don’t think that’s the problem,” his sister said with plain suspicion. “Men are such terrible liars.”

Before they could start an argument, Audrey came out of the dressing room. She tugged at the bottom of the dress’s skirt and tried to find some secret amount of sleeve where it was too tight against her bicep. She was so obviously awkward and uncomfortable that it made Billy feel unnerved, his fingers nervously tugging and playing with the peacock feather dangling from his left ear.

“Ya know, I think you were fine the way you were,” he offered, almost pleading. “Maybe just something new?”

Audrey smiled shyly and nodded before turning on her heel back to the dressing room. Without an audience, Max gave her brother a smug look. “So this one’s gonna be around for a while, huh?”

“Well, we’re _friends_ , so yeah,” Billy answered as if there was no question. “And she _did_ help save our asses.”

“Nah, you two are _totally_ crushing on each other.”

“What? No!” he denied a little too loudly, fingers not straying from his ear.

“You keep playing with those earrings. Do you do it when you think about her?” Max asked with a sly smile. Billy immediately stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Shut up, Max.”

“You’ve been spending an awful lot of your time at her place,” Max said to herself but loud enough for him to hear. “And when you’re over, I haven’t seen any girls coming out of your room.”

“I said _shut up_.”

* * *

Halloween came around again and everyone tried their best not to think about past and future paranormal activities.

Billy had never been big into Halloween; he didn’t care about the costumes or candy so much as the outrageous parties. After all of the fallouts with the popular and rich kids, the desire to party fell to the wayside. Audrey felt bad that she’d ruined one of his favourite activities, or at least she _thought_ that she had, so she tried to make up for it. If there’d be no party and no candy, then the only other option was to produce a costume. A known lazy costumer, she made it easy.

“What’s this?” he asked as she presented the outfit to him. She was quite excited and he tried his best to not be a jerk about being confused.

“You’d be _perfect_ for Dave Stewart!” Noticing his hesitation, she rolled her eyes. “The guitarist for Eurythmics. You have the hair. If I’d warned you, you could’ve grown out the beard too.”

“So if _I’m_ the guy, then _you’re_ Annie Lennox.”

“Yes.”

“ _That_ explains why you cut your hair again…” Billy mumbled to himself as if he’d been spending a lot of time trying to find the reason for that bit of information. He chuckled to himself and picked up the hanger. “Well, you made it, I might as well wear it, right?”

“I _was_ going to do the outfits for some character designs I was working on,” Audrey informed him through the closed bedroom door, “but that required too much new material and fixing the Camaro is putting a dent in my fun money. So, I just repurposed some of my dad’s suits.”

Billy opened the door, acting overly seductive to the point where the intention had to be comedic. “Hello there, darling.”

“Well aren’t _you_ handsome?”

“Good thing we’re not going to a party, you’d have to beat the girls away with a stick,” he observed with a chuckle, rearranging his hair.

Later that evening, Billy had been charged with picking Max up from the Wheeler’s where all the kids had decided to bunker down after Trick-or-Treating. He and Audrey decided that, if they weren’t going to engage in normal festivities, they’d have some fun of their own.

Of course, Karen Wheeler would answer the door when he rang the doorbell, his friend keeping Susan’s station wagon company in the driveway. The older woman hadn’t really seen him since that summer and offered him an awkward smile.

“Billy,” she said in an almost questioning tone. She glanced at his costume. “You look good.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler,” he acknowledged nervously, tugging at the suit. “Thryth made it.”

“That’s sweet,” Karen said softly. “I’m glad you’re all better. Mike and Nancy said you were in the hospital for a while.”

“Yeah, it was pretty rough, still not really back to normal,” Billy admitted with a bit of embarrassment. “Mrs. Wheeler, I just wanted to say… I’m sorry for how I acted the last time I saw you. I… wasn’t myself.”

“That’s…” Karen chuckled softly in surprise. “That’s okay, Billy. No harm done, right?” There was the sound of a herd of children coming up the basement steps. She tilted her head so she could see around him. “You haven’t gotten your car fixed up yet?”

“No, but it’s getting there,” Billy said with some pride, happy to be on a normal topic of discussion. “Thryth and Max told me you helped with that. Thank you, I don’t want to give it up yet.”

“Well, of course, you helped the kids,” she said with a smile.

Before he left their stoop, one of the pumpkins caught his attention. “Hey, do you guys still want these pumpkins?”

The mother and gathered kids gave him a funny look. “Why would you want pumpkins?”

If Billy was ever on the verge of excitement, that meant that he actually was very excited. Cool but with a little energy he informed them, “Thryth and I are going to see who can throw them the furthest. Sometimes she can get them to explode in midair.”

All of the Party’s faces lit up. Suddenly they started talking over one another, but above it all was Mike begging his mother to let him go watch these two idiots throw things.

“Fine,” Karen sighed and laughed, “I’ll call your parents. Go have fun.”

There was a mad dash as they all retrieved their candy hoards from the basement.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Wheeler, they’ll be safe with us,” Billy reassured her in the blessed silence.

“Does anyone know where Steve is?” Dustin piped up just as they were all getting ready to leave and hop on their bikes. “He’d _totally_ get behind this.”

He pleaded to use the phone and it did not, in fact, take long to convince Steve to come, especially considering that, after too many bad Halloween parties, he’d decided to stay in.

Eventually, they all ended up in the big empty field near Uncle Ron’s garage. Steve showed up with Robin and a bit later Nancy and Jonathan had gotten wind of the events and came as well.

The kids started a betting parlour based entirely upon candy. Their enthusiasm outlived the number of pumpkins they’d brought, so they tried finding other things that could be thrown. Eventually, local kids that they didn’t even particularly know came out, wondering what all the fuss was about.

At some point, Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper showed up; apparently, Joyce had gotten very worried when she returned home to find no Jonathan or Will.

The kids failed to convince Jim to demonstrate his sharpshooting.

* * *

Audrey looked up at the sky and willed it not to snow. She didn’t hate snow, but it would be nice if it waited until they’d finished their shopping. Driving in the snow wasn’t exactly a thrilling prospect. Once in front of the Hargrove’s house, she turned off the ignition. Practically bouncing up and down in excitement, she ascended the stairs and pressed the doorbell.

“Hey,” Billy greeted her as he opened the door and let her inside. He was, of course, not yet wearing a shirt and appeared to have quickly thrown the closest pair of jeans on. “I thought I was gonna come get you.”

“In what?” Audrey asked with an amused shrug. “The Camaro is at my place.”

“Well, then, how did _you_ get here?” he retorted with a smirk, hands on his hips.

“Mrs. Byers,” she lied. “Figured we could walk to Lucas’ to get Max.”

“Sure. I gotta finish getting dressed. Can’t exactly go around shirtless,” he theorised, it not escaping his attention that her eyes gave him a once-over, “I might cause a wreck.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said as she shook her head, a smirk on her lips. “Just don’t anoint yourself in Obsession, this isn’t the Ancient Greek Olympics of Assholes.”

“You got a real smart mouth, Thryth,” Billy purred in false chastisement, wagging a warning finger in her face. “I have half a mind to shut it one of these days.”

“You only _have_ half a mind,” Audrey retorted smugly. He tapped her on the nose with a laugh before going back to her room, leaving his friend to inspect the Christmas decorations.

She was considering using the bathroom before they left when the front door opened.

“Who the hell are you?” Neil Hargrove growled angrily upon seeing their guest.

“Honey, that’s Audrey, Billy’s friend,” Susan explained, embarrassed.

“Good to know I’m so memorable,” Audrey said to herself under her breath.

“Ah, the one he’s been hiding out with,” the man acknowledged none too kindly. He yelled further into the house, “Billy! What’s one of your whores doing in my house?!”

“Neil!” Susan gasped. Audrey was unfazed.

“We’re gonna get Max so we can all go Christmas shopping,” she explained calmly.

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you-” Susan started nervously.

“And I suppose that’s _your_ Firebird in front of _my_ house?” Neil interrupted with spite dripping off his words. “What are you, some rich bitch? It’s _you_ that’s rebuilding his fucking Camaro, right? Well, lemme tell you something. Billy’s just using you for your money, cause he’s a _dishonest whore of a fag!_ ”

“Jokes on him,” Audrey answered with a snort, “I live out in the sticks and work about 3 jobs.”

“Boy! Get this smart-mouthed slut out of my house!” Neil yelled, face red and spit flying.

“Jesus _Christ_ , Dad,” Billy complained exhaustedly, tugging his coat on. “What did you want me to do, leave her out there to freeze?”

“If you didn’t spend five hours putting on your make-up and picking out a pair of heels that match your skirt,” Neil sneered, gesturing threateningly at Billy’s appearance, “she’d barely have time for her nipples to play peekaboo.”

Audrey looked down at her chest in confusion and turned to Susan. “Can you see them? This is a pretty thick sweater.”

Susan gave the young woman a harried and anxious look. “Honey, Neil…”

“Stay out of it, Susan!” The angry man turned back to his son, not noticing the sympathetic yet peeved glance Audrey shared with the other woman. Neil pointed at the peacock feather dangling from Billy’s ear, resting on the warm fur on his jacket collar. “And what the _fuck_ is _that_? A neon sign for everyone to know you _suck dick?_ Huh? What _fag_ did you blow to get that thing?”

She could see that her friend was a hair away from connecting a fist with his father’s face. Audrey shook her head and gave him a look that said, “Don’t do it, Billy.” It would ruin their day, after all. He got the message.

“Don’t worry, Dad, we’re leaving.” The young man pushed past everyone so he could leave as quickly as possible.

“Your decorations are great, Mrs. Hargrove. I love your tree,” Audrey said cheerily on her way out the door.

Billy was so angry that he hadn’t realised that he’d gotten into the Firebird, thinking out of habit that it was his Camaro. She stood next to the driver’s side door and raised her voice for him to hear. “You’re pissed off, let me drive.”

Without argument, he slid over and waited as she got behind the wheel. As she readjusted her seat from where _he’d_ adjusted it, some angry neuron in his brain probably telling him that she’d driven the Camaro last and left the seat in the wrong spot, a rare tear fell down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly with a sleeve. Audrey placed a gloved hand on top of the fist he’d made and it loosened under her touch.

“If you weren’t here, _fuck,_ I’d smash his face in,” Billy told her in a seething whisper. She took her hand away to turn the ignition and pulled the car away from the curb.

“He deserves it,” she said eventually, “but that doesn’t mean he’s _worth_ it.”

“Who the fuck does he think he is?” he asked himself, playing with the feather on his ear. “It’s one thing to be a piece of shit to _me_ , I’m used to it, but _you?_ Fuck him.”

“You know how you get back at him?” Audrey looked over to him for a brief moment. “Forget about him. Don’t stay angry. Come have a good time with Max and me.”

The muscle in Billy’s cheek quivered as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, his leg shaking the whole car as it bounced up and down. Eventually, he mumbled, “You’re right.”

“Of course I am.” He raised a hand to turn on the radio, but it froze as he found the dashboard to be unfamiliar. Slowly turning his head, he took in their surroundings.

“What the fuck? _What_ the _fuck?_ You said you _walked!_ ”

“Oops.” Audrey smiled to herself. “When you calm down, I’ll let you drive. If you think you can handle it.”

“Hey, we made a deal; as soon as the ‘Bird was finished, we’d get out of this town,” Billy reminded her, getting himself ready to hear that the promise would be broken.

“Maybe we should get some _money_ first, especially after we had to rebuild the Camaro,” she reasoned gently. “And actually plan where we’d go. And you have to say goodbye to Max, and you _have_ to admit you’ve kinda gotten attached to everyone-”

“Oh, come on, you can’t-”

“I applied to schools for next year,” she interrupted bravely. “And you can come with me. Uncle Ron would say good things about you if you want to work at another garage. Maybe someday you can open your own and I can help.”

A smile slowly broke out on Billy’s face and he chuckled. Sure, that probably wouldn’t happen, but he loved the idea of it. “What did I do to deserve a friend like you, huh?”

“You stopped being a douche and became a doofus instead,” Audrey explained jokingly.

They pulled up in front of the Sinclair house and she turned to him anxiously. “Hey, I was gonna pee at your place, but then, ya know. Could you-”

“Yeah, I’ll wait for you,” he assured her with a nod.

“Okay, keep her running, I’ll send Max out.”

With the car’s owner safely inside, Billy slid over behind the wheel, pushing the seat back to where he had it. With a tap of his boot, the engine revved and a broad grin bloomed on his face, his tongue running along his teeth in subconscious excitement. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the passenger door opened and Max hopped in.”

“Wow, Billy, give up the Camaro?” she asked with some surprise.

“No, it’s Thryth’s, used to be her dad’s,” he informed his sister with uncharacteristic meekness. With renewed playfulness, he added, “She’s gonna let me drive it, ya little shit.”

“Your girlfriend’s cooler than you,” Max pointed out sarcastically. “Not exactly a high bar.”

“She’s _not_ my girlfriend. And you better watch your mouth.” The threat was useless with the genuine look of happiness on his face.

“Really? Cause, lemme think,” she started in her trademark smugness. “Ever since you started hanging out with her, you’ve-” she started counting with her fingers- “kinda stopped being such a _dick_ , been actually _protective_ , stopped smoking, stopped driving so fast, stopped getting _wasted_ , stopped stinking up the house with your perfume, stopped seeing, like, _every_ girl in this town-”

Billy flicked his earring a few times as he listened to her before deciding to cut her off. “You’re seeing shit that isn’t there. You barely see me anymore.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re at your _girl. Friend’s. House._ ” Max scoffed, amusement curling her lips. “And you play with those earrings she made you, like, _a lot_.”

“No I don't,” he denied petulantly.

Max waited until Audrey was close enough to the car that she knew Billy would have no time to argue. “Just admit you like her already.”

* * *

Winter came, Billy complained about the coldest weather he’d ever suffered through, and then it was warm again.

Face upturned to the sun and eyes closed, he soaked in the heat as they stood in the field behind the garage on their break.

“Makes me wish we were on the beach. I still miss surfing,” he said with a bittersweet smile.

“I’ve never seen the ocean,” Audrey pointed out dreamily. “In person. I’ve seen it in pictures.”

Wide-eyed, he rounded on his friend. “You’ve never seen the ocean?!”

“Well, my parents were in Chicago when they had me,” she answered very calmly as if he hadn’t just raised his voice in shock. “Then we moved here when I was pretty little. Didn’t really have the money to go all the way to the ocean.”

“Okay, we’re _going_ ,” he informed her definitively, passion brightening his eyes. “The Camaro’s done, we’ll drive out to California.”

“What? All the way to the west coast?”

“Yeah, we’ll stop along the way, see stuff,” Billy said excitedly, bouncing on his heels as he visualised it in his head. “You like nature and shit, you’d love it.”

“Really?” Audrey asked in wonder, imagining her own version of this proposed road trip.

“You’ll _love_ California,” he insisted warmly, the memory of it lighting up his face. “You’ll be telling me how much you want to go there for college.”

“I dunno…”

“This is _happening_.” The young man refused to be denied this plan for adventure. “We’re gonna save up a bunch of cash and do it!”

Seeing how excited her friend was, Audrey grinned and relented. “Okay, we’ll have a road trip.”

Billy gave a shout of victory and pretended to box her as he laughed.

* * *

They pinched their pennies: no more beer, no new personal projects, and Billy learned how much money you saved when you didn’t drive like a crazy person and stopped paying for dates. Audrey started painting figurines and designing model landscapes for people that her comic shop boss Gabe knew in other towns.

When the acceptance letters came in from her colleges, Billy lifted her up and spun her around before flipping forward in the calendar on the wall and circled the whole month of June.

“A whole month?” she asked incredulously, still reeling from being whipped around. “We can’t afford a month-long road trip.”

“Maybe not,” he conceded with a grin, “but why have a strict schedule?”

“You’re really hard to say ‘no’ to when you’re puppy-dog happy.”

“I still have a full map of the States from when we moved out here,” Billy continued, so deep into planning he wasn’t even processing what she was saying. “We’ll do 4 hour shifts. We might have to sleep in the car a few times, but that’s alright, it’s warm out.”

“You’ve really been thinking about this, huh?” Audrey said with an admiring chuckle.

“What, you haven’t?”

“No, I have, I just didn’t realise how much it meant to you.”

“I get to see California again,” Billy said emphatically. He ran his tongue along his teeth and chuckled to himself. “And I get to go with my best friend, who has never seen the ocean before.”

“We’re gonna need a Polaroid…” she mumbled to herself. “I still have my parents’ suitcases. How many clothes do you think we need?”

“You’re gonna need a swimsuit,” he reminded her. “Something incredibly unsexy.”

“You know me _so_ well.”

* * *

Cain would stay with the Byers, who would also check up on the Pryce house every now and then while they were away. Uncle Ron grumbled that he was losing two of his mechanics for some unknown amount of time, but kids would be kids and he had to admit that his niece deserved a break after all of these years without his sister and brother-in-law.

Long roads, winding roads, lots of corn.

Motels, parking lots, laundromats, neon.

Motörhead, Judas Priest, Slayer.

Blue skies, cloudy skies, some rain. 

Cafes, diners, the rare real restaurant where the napkins were cloth.

Pat Benetar, Eurythmics, Linda Ronstadt.

Flat plains, mountains in the distance, rocky terrain.

Moody Blues, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Talking Heads.

Cows, buzzards, hawks.

Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath.

Forests, rivers, lakes.

Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Buzzcocks.

St. Louis to Kansas City to Denver.

Grand Canyon - “Don’t worry, we’ll take the long way back.”

Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden.

San Diego - We’ll get back to this.

Death Valley, the Sequoias - “This is where they shot Star Wars, ya know.”

Queen, David Bowie, Meat Loaf.

Up the coast, Sacramento, 80 til Salt Lake.

Yellowstone, look up at the Tetons, joke about running away to Canada.

Mötley Crüe, Scorpions, Dio.

Get to Chicago, point out a childhood home, a feeling of displacement. 

Go home.

Somewhere in Boulder, they pulled up to a light. Audrey was driving, a new pair of sunglasses perched on her nose. They matched Billy’s; he’d bought them for her.

A car pulled up in the other lane- a Mustang. Cherry red, black racing stripe. The driver revved its engine. Neither person in the Camaro bothered to look.

“Hey, pal!” the Mustang’s driver shouted across his female passenger, over the rumble of their engines, and through the sound of traffic. “You let your _girl_ drive that thing?”

“Yeah, why?” Billy answered in a bored tone, not even caring if their heckler could hear him. “She’s a certified stunt driver.”

“Oh, yeah? Prove it!”

Neither of them could see it, her eyes hidden by the sunglasses, but Audrey looked up at the rearview mirror. What she saw made her smile. Mr. Mustang took it as a challenge.

When the light turned green, the Mustang shot ahead. “Aw, man, I was kinda hoping you’d race him.”

“Wait for it-” Lights flashed and passed them by.

“Oh, I _love_ this song,” Billy cried as the police officer weaved past them in pursuit of the wannabe racer.

“I kinda want a milkshake,” Audrey mused as they passed the pulled-over vehicles. “You want a milkshake?”

“Oh, fuck yeah. Burger and fries, too,” he answered as he watched the scene with a grin. “Let’s find us some beer, too.”

The sun started to set behind the mountains, making the sky a beautiful orange that faded into an inky blue on the eastern horizon. They found a nice spot to watch the stars come out and sat on the hood of the Camaro as they ate their dinner and drank their celebratory beers.

“Ya know, I kinda wish we’d brought Birdie,” Audrey mused after swiping some fries through her milkshake.

“You don’t want to beat the hell out of her,” Billy argued once he could properly talk. “That girl is _beautiful_. _This_ guy has been through some _shit_.”

“You know what’s funny? When all that… crazy shit was going on…” she hesitated, thinking better of it but the energy of their lighthearted conversation and the buzz from the beer made it too hard to not say something in the first place.

“Yeah, that was nuts…” he mumbled, no need to explain it more than that. The beer in his hand was finished off and another one was opened. “I’m sorry you got caught up in it.”

“I kinda… got _myself_ into it. I knew something weird was going on with you and…” Audrey chuckled, even though it wasn’t funny. “That night, July Fourth? I hid in your car, so I could find out what was wrong with you.”

To say the least, Billy was dumbfounded. Eventually, he found his voice. “You were _that_ worried about me?”

“Yeah, I guess I was.” She had the urge to open another beer, but she’d be the one driving them to wherever they were spending the night. “I gotta admit, fighting that thing was a _thrill_. Felt good to fight an actual monster. Like a hero in an adventure.”

“Hey, you were _good_ at it. I owe you my life.”

“Well, when I see the ocean for the first time, I’ll consider your debt repaid.” They both erupted in laughter. 

Billy hesitated and thought to himself, “Wait… what are we _doing?_ ”

Audrey was staring back at him, probably thinking the same thing. Then she leaned forward and kissed him. Immediately, she backed off. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, that was so _stupid_.”

“No, it’s not stupid,” he managed to say before he gently placed a finger on her jaw and turned her face, renewing the connection between their lips. All he could think about was the taste of sugar and salt on her tongue as she shyly followed his movements. Eventually, they broke apart.

“I dunno if I’m ready to… _ya know_ ,” she informed him meekly, the flush from their passion turning into a blush of embarrassment.

“I’m not trying to screw you,” Billy reassured her, his nose touching hers. “You’re the first girl I’ve ever actually _liked_ hanging out with. And I wanna keep hanging out with you.”

“I like hanging out with you too,” Audrey mumbled around the coy smile on her lips.

Their room that night was only one bed; they’d decided to spring for a nicer place that night, but it wasn’t like they were rich kids backpacking across Europe.

Nothing happened. Or at least, nothing happened under their clothes. They finished their beers without fear of who had to drive. At some point they must have gotten dressed for bed, but Billy couldn’t remember doing that.

It was the middle of the night and Audrey was fast asleep, her head a heavy but reassuring weight on his chest. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to sort out what was happening.

“I spend a lot of time with her,” he thought to himself suspiciously, “and I like hanging out with her. I’ve never tried to fuck her, even when I haven’t had sex in forever… I’m happy just _lying_ here. I practically live with her, we keep making plans for the future, she _cares_ about me and I care about _her_ …”

“I guess I actually _do_ have a girlfriend,” Billy whispered to himself. A movement renewed his interest in the warmth at his side. He smiled. “It’s pretty nice, actually.”

* * *

The sun was warm. The waves were just how he liked them. There weren’t too many people around. Billy was in love and the object of his affection was waiting for him on the shore. 

It was adding up to be a perfect day.

“How’s America’s next top engineer doing?” he called up the beach, surfboard under his arm.

“I may appear calm, but I assure you, I’m panicking,” Audrey answered in a raised voice, though she’d just repeat it if he didn’t hear. She expected to repeat it, because she was convinced his hearing was on a steep downward trajectory ever since he started his mechanic’s career all that time ago in Hawkins.

“Hey, don’t worry, I’m sure that when your life crashes and burns, I can pick up the pieces,” he reassured her facetiously as he stuck his board in the sand.

“You’re getting my notes wet,” she complained even though it wasn’t true- yet- just to shut him up. “You could go to school, ya know.”

“Why would I do that?” Careful not to disturb her work or the snoozing dog under the umbrella, Billy laid down on the blanket she’d laid out for him.

“You’re a lot smarter than you think. You could be designing cars, not just fixing them.”

“I dunno, I kinda like the idea of you being the successful one,” he mused as he settled in. “Besides, mechanics can go anywhere there’s people.”

“Just because you only have a high school degree doesn’t mean you’re unsuccessful,” Audrey insisted with a serious look. “You’re happy, right?”

“Oh, I’m _very_ happy,” Billy replied with a grin.

“Well, then, I guess that makes you pretty successful.” She turned back to her notes, but a touch of his hand demanded her attention again. “What?”

“I love you, that’s what.” His smile hadn’t faded and it had become contagious.

“I love you too.”

“Then lean down here and kiss me before I think you’re lying.”


End file.
